Fetterman Criticizes Media for Coverage of Operation Epic Fury
SEN. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) has voiced concerns about the U.S. media’s “selective reporting,” suggesting it underplays the achievements of Operation Epic Fury while inadvertently aiding Iran during the conflict’s initial month.
“I read all the politics in ‘Epic Fury.’ Iran loves the media and is learning from the media right now,” Fetterman remarked in an interview.
He argued that “selective media coverage rewards and strengthens Iran’s strategy,” noting that the media tends to amplify the chaos initiated by Iran while overlooking its significant defeats.
Much of the media focus has been on the Strait of Hormuz—a crucial route for global oil traffic—which Iran shut down following military actions by the U.S. and Israel that commenced on February 28. This disruption led to a spike in global energy prices, pushing crude oil to around $100 per barrel by mid-March.
Fetterman criticized media narratives that depict the global economy as thriving by merely citing current gas prices, pointing out that they are still lower than their highs from recent years.
In 2022, inflation surged to its peak in four decades under President Biden, and oil prices marked a rise to $119 in June. While gas briefly reached $5 a gallon, the national average has since settled around $4.
Various reports also imply that former President Trump initiated the conflict without Congressional consent, lacking a clear justification or adequate preparation.
In a phone call, Trump stated that U.S. troops wouldn’t stay in Iran “for too long” and predicted that the strait would “open automatically” once they departed, suggesting that allies like Britain should also be involved in that process.
Other Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), have also been critical of Trump for driving up energy costs.
Six days later, Democratic leaders questioned, “How did Donald Trump not realize that the Strait of Hormuz crisis was coming?” in a separate post that referenced a Bloomberg report.
Fetterman criticized the media’s failure to address conflicting goals set forth by the Trump administration. Army Secretary Pete Hegseth highlighted the objective to dismantle Iran’s missile and drone capabilities, naval power, and nuclear ambitions during a Pentagon briefing.
The U.S. reportedly targeted 11,000 sites in the conflict’s first 30 days, dismantling 90% of Iran’s missiles and 95% of its drones. The airstrikes also led to the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei and numerous high-ranking officials, with the Trump administration claiming these actions paved the way for negotiations with a more stable Iranian leadership.
Fetterman stated, “Democrats used to demand that ‘Iran could never have a nuclear weapon,’ but by any historical measure, ‘Epic Fury’ has been a considerable success.” He elaborated that if Iran had renounced its nuclear intentions, there likely would not have been widespread outrage or the tragic attacks by Hamas that occurred on October 7, 2023.
He questioned why the collaborative U.S.-Israeli decision to “hold Iran fully accountable” hasn’t been more prominently featured in the news, referencing a White House statement that highlighted the substantial number of Americans killed by Iranian actions.
