LIVE | Karoline Leavitt briefs media as Iran blocks Strait of Hormuz despite US-Iran ceasefire

Key Concepts

• Operation Epic Fury: A 38-day U.S. military campaign aimed at dismantling Iran’s military capabilities and nuclear ambitions.
• Strait of Hormuz: A critical maritime chokepoint; its safe and immediate reopening is a primary condition of the current ceasefire.
• Maximum Pressure Strategy: The administration’s diplomatic and military framework involving intense economic and kinetic pressure to force negotiations.
• Red Lines: Non-negotiable U.S. demands, specifically the cessation of Iranian nuclear enrichment.
• Command and Control Disruption: The systematic targeting of Iranian leadership and communication infrastructure to paralyze the regime’s decision-making.

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1. Military Objectives and Achievements of Operation Epic Fury

The administration reports that Operation Epic Fury successfully met and exceeded its core objectives within 38 days, significantly faster than the projected 4-to-6-week timeline.

• Defense Industrial Base: The U.S. destroyed Iran’s capacity to manufacture weapons, including ballistic missiles and long-range drones.
• Naval Annihilation: Over 150 naval vessels were destroyed, including 16 classes of warships. Iran’s undersea force was eliminated, and 97% of its naval mine inventory was neutralized.
• Air Dominance: The Iranian Air Force, previously conducting 30–100 flights daily, is now operationally irrelevant with zero flights reported.
• Targeting Data: Over 13,000 targets were struck, including 450 ballistic missile sites, 800 drone facilities, and 2,000 command and control nodes.
• Leadership Impact: Senior leadership, including the former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was targeted, resulting in a paralyzed command structure.

2. The Ceasefire and Diplomatic Framework

The ceasefire is described as a "fragile" two-week window intended to transition from military conflict to a long-term diplomatic solution.

• Negotiation Process: The U.S. rejected an initial "unserious" 10-point Iranian proposal. A second, condensed plan was deemed a "workable basis" for negotiations.
• Upcoming Talks: A U.S. delegation led by Vice President J.D. Vance, Special Envoy Witkoff, and Mr. Kushner will convene in Islamabad to finalize terms.
• Strait of Hormuz: The ceasefire is strictly conditional on the Strait remaining open without limitations. The administration is monitoring traffic "minute by minute."
• Exclusions: The administration clarified that Lebanon is not currently included in the ceasefire deal.

3. Rhetoric and Moral Standing

The administration defended President Trump’s aggressive rhetoric—specifically the threat to destroy Iranian "civilization"—as a necessary tool that forced the regime to "cave to their knees."

• Moral High Ground: The spokesperson argued that the U.S. maintains the moral high ground due to Iran’s 47-year history of chanting "Death to America" and killing U.S. service members.
• Accountability: The administration emphasized that the threat was not "empty," noting that the Pentagon had a target list ready for execution at an 8:00 p.m. deadline.

4. Domestic Policy and Legislative Updates

• Working Families Tax Cut: The administration highlighted that 90% of seniors will no longer pay taxes on Social Security due to this legislation.
• Immigration: The administration confirmed that individuals in the U.S. with fraudulent asylum claims or illegal status are subject to deportation, citing the recent removal of relatives of Iranian officials.
• Dignity Act: The White House has not yet taken a formal position on the proposed legislation regarding paths to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

5. Notable Quotes

• On NATO: "They were tested and they failed... it’s quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the course of the last six weeks."
• On the Ceasefire: "The President’s maximum pressure and the leverage created by the success of Operation Epic Fury led to the Iranian regime asking for and ultimately agreeing to a ceasefire."
• On Negotiations: "What Iran says publicly or feeds to all of you in the press is much different than what they communicate to the United States... privately."

Synthesis and Conclusion

The administration frames Operation Epic Fury as a historic military triumph that successfully neutralized an existential threat to the U.S. and its allies. By decimating Iran’s military infrastructure and leadership, the U.S. claims to have created the necessary leverage to force the regime into a conditional ceasefire. The next two weeks are critical, as the administration shifts focus to high-stakes, closed-door negotiations in Islamabad, with the primary goal of permanently ending Iran’s nuclear enrichment program while maintaining freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.