The White House sharply criticized major media outlets Wednesday, accusing them of “intellectual dishonesty” in their coverage of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military campaign targeting Iran’s military leadership and nuclear infrastructure.
Speaking during a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt opened with a direct rebuke of what she described as misleading reporting about the reasons behind the operation ordered by President Donald Trump.
“There’s been a lot of misreporting and intellectual dishonesty from the American media on why President Trump decided to launch this operation,” Leavitt said. “So let me remind you.”
According to the administration, Operation Epic Fury was launched after intelligence indicated that Iran remained committed to rebuilding its nuclear weapons program despite earlier military strikes and diplomatic efforts.
Iran Rebuilding Nuclear Program
Leavitt pointed to last year’s Operation Midnight Hammer, a major strike campaign that destroyed three of Iran’s primary nuclear facilities.
Despite those strikes, she said the Iranian regime continued pushing forward with nuclear ambitions.
“Operation Midnight Hammer obliterated Iran’s three major nuclear sites,” Leavitt said. “Yet the terrorist Iranian regime has remained fully committed to rebuilding its nuclear program.”
The administration says the U.S. knows this through intelligence gathered after months of negotiations that ultimately failed.
Leavitt said President Trump sent two of his top negotiators to pursue diplomacy with Tehran before military action was taken.
Instead of negotiating in good faith, she claimed, Iran attempted to stall.
“They tried to string the United States along,” Leavitt said, “while building ballistic missiles and pursuing nuclear ambitions.”
Trump’s Decision to Strike
According to the White House, the president ultimately concluded that the trajectory of negotiations would lead to a far more dangerous outcome.
“President Trump made the determination, a courageous determination, that the path the United States was on had only one outcome,” Leavitt said. “Massive death and destruction at the hands of a nuclear-armed terroristic regime.”
The administration has framed Operation Epic Fury as a preemptive move designed to eliminate Iran’s ability to rebuild its military leadership and nuclear program before it could reach a critical threshold.
Massive Military Impact
Leavitt also detailed the scale of the ongoing military campaign.
Since Operation Epic Fury began last weekend, U.S. forces have reportedly:
- Struck more than 2,000 Iranian targets
- Destroyed over 20 Iranian naval vessels
- Killed 49 senior Iranian regime leaders
She added that the Pentagon expects to achieve complete air dominance over Iranian airspace in the near future.
“The Department of War expects to have complete and total dominance over Iranian airspace in the coming hours,” she said.
If confirmed, that level of control would significantly weaken Iran’s ability to respond militarily.
Boots on the Ground?
When asked whether U.S. ground troops could be deployed inside Iran, Leavitt said it is not part of the current plan.
However, she left the door open to future options.
“They’re not part of the plan for this operation at this time,” she said. “But I certainly will never take away military options on behalf of the president of the United States.”
That response echoed earlier comments from Trump administration officials who have declined to rule out escalation if Iran attempts a major counterattack.
Honoring Fallen Service Members
Leavitt also confirmed that President Trump plans to attend the dignified transfer ceremony for six American service members who were killed during Operation Epic Fury.
“President Trump intends to attend the dignified transfer of these American heroes to stand in grief alongside their families,” she said.
The ceremony will take place once the Department of War finalizes arrangements.
A Battle Over Narrative
Beyond the military conflict itself, the White House appears to be waging a parallel fight over public perception.
Officials argue that critics and segments of the media are portraying Operation Epic Fury as an act of escalation rather than a response to a long-running nuclear threat.
The administration maintains that Iran’s continued pursuit of nuclear capabilities left the United States with few alternatives.
For now, the situation remains fluid as the Pentagon continues expanding operations and the world waits to see how Tehran will respond to the most aggressive U.S. military action against Iran in decades.
As the conflict unfolds, the political battle over the justification for Operation Epic Fury is likely to intensify just as rapidly as the fighting itself.