Trump’s Update on Operation Epic Fury
On Tuesday, President Trump announced that Operation Epic Fury in Iran is “two weeks ahead of schedule,” expressing hopes of achieving several goals soon.
CBS News’ Weijia Jiang connected with the president that morning. When asked about the timeline for ending the conflict, he stated, “In terms of what we’ve done, we’re actually ahead of schedule. They don’t have the military anymore. They’ve spent everything they had. They’re in disarray. I would say we’re two weeks ahead of schedule.”
He noted, “there’s not much” standing between the current status of the operation and a declaration of victory. Trump added that they aim to finalize some details, indicating a “complete regime change” in Iran. “They’re different people than anyone has ever heard of before, and frankly, they’re more reasonable,” he said. He emphasized that this level of change was greater than anticipated, which he believes is significant.
As the operation enters its fifth week, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt confirmed that the initial four-to-six-week timeline remains intact, with April 9th marking the end of the six weeks.
When Jiang asked if victory would depend on the removal of enriched uranium from Iran, the president replied, “I haven’t even thought about that.” He went on to discuss the challenges of accessing deep-buried materials, stating, “It’s buried so deep that it’s going to be very difficult for everyone. We’ve been seeing that ever since the attack…” He reflected on the complexity of the situation, noting decisions will need to be made moving forward.
Jiang revealed that the call took place shortly after Trump urged countries reliant on the Strait of Hormuz for energy to take proactive measures. In a related post, Trump said:
To all the countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, such as the UK, which refused to get involved in the Iranian beheading, I have a suggestion for you. First, buy from the United States. We have enough. And secondly, muster up the courage to go to the Channel and just take it. You need to learn how to fight for yourself; the US isn’t there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran was essentially destroyed. The hard part is done. Get your own oil!
Jiang mentioned that Trump indicated he hasn’t yet withdrawn assets from the strait but plans to do so eventually. He remarked, “At some point we will, but not quite yet. Countries will have to step in and handle it. Iran has been destroyed, but countries will have to do their own work,” asserting there’s no longer a “real threat.”
He added, “Let them come and take it. They didn’t want to help anyone. NATO is terrible, and all of them are terrible. So if they want oil, come and grab it. There’s no real threat because the country is destroyed.” Additionally, he suggested that domestic gas prices would decrease if the US exited Iran.
