Fox News anchor Bret Baier said President Donald Trump told him that the U.S. military campaign against Iran has met all four objectives of “Operation Epic Fury.”
Baier reported speaking directly with Trump, who expressed satisfaction with the military operation’s progress. Trump told the anchor that intelligence operations had been more successful than expected and that the mission was ahead of schedule.
What Trump Told Baier
“I just got off the phone with the president. He is very pleased with how things are going,” Baier said. “As far as the progress, he said they are ahead of where they thought they would be.”
Trump told Baier the military had a detailed plan and praised the quality of intelligence gathered. He indicated that an uprising among Iranian citizens was possible, stating, “Yeah, I feel there is. I feel that and some of them are no longer with us to be honest because it was 49 leaders that were taken out.”
According to Trump, removing Iranian leadership was expected to take four to six weeks, though hiding by remaining targets could extend the timeline. He said the U.S. military was prepared for either scenario.
Operation Checklist Complete
White House correspondent Peter Doocy reported that Operation Epic Fury contained four success metrics, and all had been met. “The checklist for success in Epic Fury had four points on it, and according to officials here, so far it has been check, check, check, check,” Doocy said.
The operation achieved the destruction of Iran’s ballistic missile production facilities, elimination of naval assets, disruption of terrorist proxy networks, and prevention of nuclear weapons development. Doocy reported that 13,000 combat flights had struck 12,300 targets and destroyed 155 Iranian vessels.
White House officials indicated the campaign would wind down within two to three weeks, with Trump expected to address the situation that evening.
International Tensions Rise
The military campaign is creating friction with U.S. allies. Trump has reportedly threatened to halt weapon supplies to Ukraine to pressure European nations into supporting efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump has also expressed frustration with NATO, telling allies he is considering withdrawing from the alliance. Reuters reported Trump planned to voice his displeasure with NATO’s lack of support for U.S. objectives regarding Iran.
NATO announced plans to send its secretary general to Washington the following week, describing the visit as a long-planned engagement.
This story has been updated. CNN’s editorial team contributed to this report.