‘President Trump does not bluff’: Karoline Leavitt defends Iran strikes after repeated warnings

WASHINGTON, DC: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended President Donald Trump’s military strikes on Iran on March 5, saying the operation demonstrates that the president follows through on his warnings.

Leavitt told reporters during a White House briefing that Trump’s recent actions show the administration is serious about enforcing what it calls its “red lines” against Iran amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Karoline Leavitt defends Trump Iran strikes

Leavitt said the recent strikes against Iranian targets illustrate Donald Trump’s willingness to act after issuing warnings.

“When President Trump makes a threat - and I have reiterated that threat many times from this podium over the past year - President Trump does not bluff,” Leavitt said during the briefing.

She added that US military action had proved wrong those who believed Trump would not enforce his warnings. “They bet that President Trump would be like many of his predecessors, that he would just talk and refuse to enforce his clear red lines,” she said. “That has proven to be a catastrophic error in judgment.”

Karoline Leavitt calls Operation Epic Fury a success

Leavitt described the ongoing US military campaign, known as Operation Epic Fury, as a major success so far. “It’s safe to say that thus far, Operation Epic Fury has been a resounding success,” she said, crediting US forces for carrying out the strikes “backed up by the mightiest warriors in the world.”

According to the White House, the operation aims to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile program, eliminate its naval presence in the region, dismantle Iranian-backed militant groups, and prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

 “The goals of this operation have been made very clear,” Leavitt said, adding that President Trump outlined the strategy when he announced the campaign.

Leavitt argued that Iran’s leadership rejected diplomatic efforts before the conflict intensified.

“Iran refused to say yes to peace, and their refusal made clear that their number one priority was building a nuclear weapon with which to threaten the United States of America,” she said. “Iran rejected the path of peace because the extremist groups in charge of this regime wanted to build nuclear weapons to use against Americans and our allies.”

However, Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei repeatedly denied that the country is developing nuclear weapons, stating that weapons of mass destruction are forbidden under Islamic principles.

Karoline Leavitt says US nearing Iran airspace dominance

Leavitt said the United States expects to soon gain full control of Iranian airspace as the military operation continues. “We expect to have complete and total dominance over Iranian airspace in the coming hours, clearing the skies for our brave warriors to continue achieving these objectives,” she said.

Her remarks came as Iran continued retaliatory strikes across parts of the Middle East after US and Israeli attacks triggered the current escalation.

Despite the intensifying conflict, Leavitt said deploying US ground troops inside Iran is not currently part of the plan. “They’re not part of the plan for this operation at this time,” she said, while leaving open the possibility that military options could change if circumstances evolve.

“I will never take away military options on behalf of the president of the United States or the commander in chief,” she added.

Leavitt also confirmed that Trump plans to attend a dignified transfer ceremony for US service members killed in Iran’s retaliatory strikes. “President Trump intends to attend the dignified transfer of these American heroes to stand in grief alongside their families,” she said.