White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated President Trump's declared goals for Operation Epic Fury include destroying Iran's missile industry, annihilating its navy, and ensuring its terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region. She added the objectives aim to stop Iran from making and using IEDs and to guarantee it can never obtain a nuclear weapon. Leavitt said the military objectives in Iran will continue until the objectives are achieved. She also claimed 49 of the most senior Iranian regime leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have been eliminated in the opening strikes of Operation Epic Fury.
Leavitt provided context by stating Iran has struck more than 300 civilian targets in the Gulf region. She argued that while Operation Midnight Hammer previously obliterated Iran's major nuclear sites, the regime was fully committed to rebuilding its nuclear program and refused to make a deal despite extensive talks. According to Leavitt, the terrorist Iranian regime would not say yes to peace, necessitating the current military action.
Leavitt boasted about killing people who lie to Donald Trump during the briefing.
Regarding escalation, Leavitt said the president isn't ruling out ground troops in Iran. She stated Iranian military leaders will face military consequences if they don't hold true to their words, and warned that Iran's ballistic missile capability was a direct and imminent threat to European allies and U.S. bases.
Domestically, Leavitt recently spoke at a Turning Point USA event with Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika, at George Washington University. During the event, an audience member asked if it was worth risking millions of Americans from voting to prevent a few hundred cases of voter fraud, referencing the SAVE America Act. Leavitt stated the idea that the SAVE America Act would disenfranchise anyone is frankly insulting. The act requires proof of U.S. citizenship to vote, such as a passport, birth certificate, or REAL ID. Donald Trump has declared he will not sign any other legislation until the Senate passes the SAVE America Act.
Donald Trump threatened to destroy Iran entirely, including desalination plants, if they didn't agree to his demands.
Leavitt is engaged in multiple disputes with news organizations. She is demanding ABC News retract a report warning of a potential Iranian drone attack on California, claiming ABC left out that the FBI bulletin was based on unverified intelligence. The FBI bulletin did warn of an Iranian drone threat to California but noted it was unverified intelligence. Separately, AFP withdrew an unflattering image of Leavitt after being made aware of the White House's displeasure, though AFP's director said it was an internal editorial decision. Getty Images also removed the image automatically.
Within the administration, Leavitt said Donald Trump still has complete confidence in Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. She stated anyone suspected of leaking will be removed from the administration, and investigations are underway. Joe Kent resigned as National Counterterrorism Center Director in protest of Donald Trump's strikes on Iran.
Leavitt responded that Iran's 'best move is to make a deal' because the US 'has capabilities beyond their wildest imagination'.
Internationally, Leavitt claimed other countries should help the U.S. in the Iran crisis because they are benefitting greatly from the war.
Public opinion data presents conflicting pictures. Leavitt wrote a Thursday X post claiming that Americans Agree that Operation Epic Fury Is an Overwhelming Success, linking to White House polls showing 80 to 90 percent of respondents agreed the war has been fruitful. Her post earned a Community Note on X stating the White House’s polls only refer to MAGA Republicans or Republicans being in favor, excluding Democrats and Independents, which skews the data. Glenn Greenwald posted a counter poll conducted by Reuters-Ipsos that showed nearly 60 percent of Americans disapprove of the war. On Friday, Leavitt shared a poll from Politico that showed most MAGA Trump supporters were fully behind his war in Iran.
Leavitt said many people are 'no longer on Planet Earth because they lied to the United States and they strung us along'.
On economic justifications, Leavitt described economic turbulence from oil prices as short-term fluctuations for long-term benefit.
Regarding ceasefire prospects, Leavitt cast doubt on reports of a 15-point ceasefire plan for Iran, saying they may not be entirely factual. Iranian officials rejected the 15-point plan as excessive and unreasonable.
Leavitt responded, 'Why are you ok with any voter fraud in the United States of America?' and said the US should have the 'safest and most secure elections'.
On personal and symbolic fronts, Leavitt and her staff prayed before a press briefing on the Iran war. She is expected to go on maternity leave next month ahead of the birth of her second child. Leavitt responded to conservative commentator Matt Walsh after he expressed confusion over messaging regarding Trump's military action in Iran.
Legal and constitutional questions persist. Leavitt refused to answer a clarifying follow-up question about the legality of Donald Trump's threats against Iran. Stephen Colbert called out Trump for continuing to call the conflict in Iran a war, despite never securing Congressional approval before striking the nation.
Donald Trump threatened to campaign against any Republican who votes against the SAVE America Act, calling them 'sick, demented, or deranged'.
Public figures have reacted critically. Candace Owens posted an unflattering image of Leavitt on X, overlaid with a statement from Leavitt paraphrased as clarifying no threat from Iran to the U.S. homeland existed. That image was included in a Vanity Fair exposé about senior Trump officials in December 2025. Stephen Colbert targeted Leavitt after she claimed President Trump’s strike on Iran stemmed from a feeling based on a fact.
Key unknowns remain, including what specific unverified intelligence the FBI bulletin on the Iranian drone threat to California was based on, the full details and official status of the 15-point ceasefire plan for Iran, the exact nature and scope of the investigations into alleged leaks within the Trump administration, the specific data or methodology behind the White House polls showing 80-90% support for the war, and the identities of the other countries Leavitt claimed are benefitting from the war and should help the U.S.
Leavitt heralded Charlie Kirk as a key mentor during her political rise.
Leavitt stated, 'No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did.'
Donald Trump revealed a 15-point plan for a ceasefire in Iran, including demands to dismantle nuclear capabilities and proxies.
Donald Trump joked that Leavitt is doing a 'terrible job' due to negative media coverage, but said he will keep her.
Trump has frequently complimented Leavitt, calling her a 'star' and the best press secretary.
Matt Walsh posted on social media expressing confusion over messaging, saying: 'So far we've heard that although we killed the whole Iranian regime, this was not a regime change war. And although we obliterated their nuclear program, we had to do this because of their nuclear program.'
Matt Walsh added: 'And although Iran was not planning any attacks on the US, they also might have been, depending on who you ask. And although we are not fighting this war to free the Iranian people, they are now free, or might be, depending on who seizes power, and we have no idea who that will be. The messaging on this thing is, to put it mildly, confused.'
Karoline Leavitt stated: 'Preventing this radical regime and its terrorist leaders from threatening America and our core national security interests is a clear-eyed and necessary objective. Killing terrorists is good for America.'
Karoline Leavitt told White House reporters: 'This decision to launch this operation was based on a cumulative effect of various direct threats that Iran posed to the United States of America … And the president’s feeling based on fact that Iran does pose an imminent and direct threat to the United States of America.'