The United States is close to meeting its “core objectives” in “Operation Epic Fury” as it systematically dismantles Iran’s defense industrial base, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a media briefing on Wednesday. The president is holding out an olive branch to what’s left of Iran’s leadership, she signaled.
Leavitt said that the U.S. military is making significant progress, with more than 9,000 targets struck in just over three weeks, leading to an estimated 90% reduction in Iran’s ballistic missile and drone attacks.
U.S. forces have also inflicted major losses on Iran’s navy, destroying more than 140 vessels, including nearly 50 mine layers, the press secretary said. “This is the largest elimination of a navy on the face of the planet in a three-week period since World War II.”
U.S. efforts are focused on securing the Strait of Hormuz, including recent American strikes on underground facilities used to store anti-ship missiles and mobile launchers, she said. “For all of these reasons, we are very close to meeting the core objectives of ‘Operation Epic Fury’ and this military mission continues unabated.
“That’s why you’re beginning to see the regime look for an exit ramp. They recognize they are being crushed. Their ability to attack American and Allied forces, as well as their ability to defend their own territory, is dwindling, literally hour by hour,” Leavitt said.
She signaled that the U.S. is willing to give Iran an off-ramp. When Tehran made it clear on March 21 that it wanted to negotiate, U.S. President Donald Trump responded. The U.S. and Iran have been engaged in “productive talks” for the past three days, she said. This has led the president to delay acting on his threat to eliminate Iran’s energy infrastructure over the regime’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. “The president’s preference is always peace. There does not need to be any more death and destruction.”
But Leavitt warned that if the Islamic Republic didn’t take advantage of the opportunity provided to it in the current talks, it would find itself under an attack that would dwarf current operations. “If Iran fails to accept the reality of the current moment, if they fail to understand that they have been defeated militarily and will continue to be, President Trump will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before,” she said.
“President Trump does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell. Iran should not miscalculate again. Their last miscalculation cost them their senior leadership, their navy, their air force and their air defense system. Any violence beyond this point will be because the Iranian regime refused to understand they have already been defeated and refused to come to a deal,” Leavitt said.
