White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised Donald Trump following his statement that U.S. military operations targeting Iran may soon be scaled back, highlighting what she described as clear objectives and steady progress under Operation Epic Fury. Her remarks came in response to Trump’s Truth Social post outlining the mission’s goals and signaling that the United States is “getting very close” to completing them.
In her statement, Leavitt pointed to the timeline and execution of the operation, writing, “Since Day One of Operation Epic Fury, President Trump clearly outlined the U.S. Military’s objectives to end the threat of the Iranian terrorist regime. The President and the Pentagon predicted it would take approximately 4-6 weeks to achieve this mission. Tomorrow marks week 3 – and the U.S. Armed Forces are doing an exceptional job. Day by day, the Iranian Regime is being crippled, and their ability to threaten the United States and our allies is being significantly weakened. As always, President Trump is laser focused on one thing: total and complete VICTORY.”
Since Day One of Operation Epic Fury, President Trump clearly outlined the U.S. Military’s objectives to end the threat of the Iranian terrorist regime.
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 20, 2026
The President and the Pentagon predicted it would take approximately 4-6 weeks to achieve this mission.
Tomorrow marks week… pic.twitter.com/A5F8UTxpPZ
Leavitt’s comments directly followed Trump’s detailed description of the campaign’s objectives, which included degrading Iran’s missile capabilities, dismantling its defense industrial base, eliminating its naval and air forces, preventing nuclear development, and protecting U.S. allies in the Middle East. Trump also indicated that discussions were underway about potentially winding down the operation as those objectives near completion, while emphasizing that the United States would remain prepared to respond to any future threats.
Operation Epic Fury was launched on February 28 by U.S. Central Command at the direction of the president, initiating coordinated strikes against Iranian military infrastructure. Initial targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, air defense systems, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields identified as posing imminent threats. The opening of the operation involved precision strikes conducted across air, land, and sea, alongside the first combat use of low-cost one-way attack drones by Task Force Scorpion Strike.
According to U.S. Central Command, American and partner forces have also defended against hundreds of retaliatory Iranian missile and drone attacks since the operation began.The campaign has been described as involving the largest regional concentration of U.S. military firepower in a generation.
Leavitt’s statement framed those developments as evidence of a strategy progressing on schedule, reinforcing Trump’s assertion that the mission is approaching its intended end state. By emphasizing both the timeline and battlefield outcomes, she portrayed the operation as a coordinated effort achieving measurable results while maintaining a focus on what she described as the president’s singular objective of victory.