White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt asserted Monday that recent U.S. strikes had definitively “took away Iran’s ability to create a nuclear bomb.” Her comments came as President Donald Trump openly speculated about a “regime change” in Tehran.
Leavitt, speaking to ABC News, characterized Iran as an “imminent threat” and praised President Trump as the “first president with the guts to actually do something about it.”
She expressed a “high degree of confidence” that enriched uranium was stored at the targeted sites, stating, “The president would not have launched the strikes if we weren’t confident in that.”
READ: How Iran Could Shake Up Global Economy In Response To US Strikes
This stance from the White House follows “Operation Midnight Hammer,” a meticulously planned and executed clandestine operation that crippled key Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday night. In a Sunday briefing, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, unveiled details of the unprecedented strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, which inflicted “extremely severe damage.”
The operation involved seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, undertaking an arduous 18-hour flight with multiple mid-air refuelings – marking the second-longest B-2 operation in U.S. history. Precision strikes included the deployment of 14 GBU-57 “bunker buster” bombs on the deeply fortified Fordow and Natanz facilities. Simultaneously, Tomahawk missiles, launched from U.S. ships and submarines south of Iran, pounded the Isfahan nuclear site.
READ: Secretary Of State Marco Rubio: Iran’s “Games” Led To Devastating “Midnight Hammer” Strikes
General Caine lauded the mission as a “complex and high-risk” undertaking, commending the “exceptional skill and discipline by our joint force.” Defense Secretary Hegseth reiterated that the strikes were not an attempt to draw the U.S. into a protracted war or to seek regime change, emphasizing that U.S. forces remain prepared for any retaliatory attacks.
However, President Trump’s social media post earlier today introduced a fresh element of speculation into the already tense situation.
“It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???” Trump posted. “MIGA!!!” This statement appears to diverge from Secretary Hegseth’s previous assurances that regime change was not the mission’s objective.
Meanwhile, Iran has responded, declaring the U.S. “decided to destroy diplomacy” and warned that the Iranian military would decide the “timing, nature, and scale” of its response.
In response to the escalating tensions, the State Department has significantly ramped up its cautionary advice to Americans in the Middle East. It has doubled the number of emergency evacuation flights for U.S. citizens wishing to leave Israel and ordered the departure of nonessential staff from the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon.
As the B-2 bombers returned to base, the global community watches intently for Iran’s next move.
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