Washington: The White House pushed back against reports that the Trump administration has shifted its goals in the war with Iran, as it released a compilation of remarks by President Donald Trump and senior officials outlining what it said have been the campaign’s consistent objectives.
The compilation brings together statements made over the past ten days by Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, senior Pentagon leaders, and the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, describing what officials say are the unchanged goals of Operation Epic Fury.
“Our objectives are clear,” Trump said on March 2. “First, we’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities… and their capacity to produce brand new ones — pretty good ones they make. Second, we’re annihilating their navy… Third, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon… And finally, we’re ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.”
Vice President Vance said the central aim of the campaign remained preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
“Whatever happens with the regime in one form or another, it’s incidental to the President’s primary objective here — which is to make sure the Iranian terrorist regime does not build a nuclear bomb,” he said.
Secretary of State Rubio said the military effort was designed to eliminate the immediate threats posed by Iran’s missile forces and naval capabilities.
“The United States is conducting an operation to eliminate the threat of Iran’s short-range ballistic missiles and the threat posed by their navy… That is the clear objective of this mission,” Rubio said.
Military commanders said the campaign also seeks to weaken Iran’s ability to project military power beyond its borders.
“Our military in the Middle East is undertaking an unprecedented operation to eliminate Iran’s ability to threaten Americans, as they’ve been doing for nearly half a century,” US Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said.
Pentagon officials said Iran’s expanding missile forces had become a growing security concern.
Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby said the operation was focused on addressing Iran’s ability to project military power.
“The objectives of the military campaign… are focused on addressing the ability of the Islamic Republic to project military power… And that’s primarily the missile forces of the Islamic Republic, which had obviously been growing substantially and posed a very serious threat,” Colby said.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the mission aimed to dismantle key pillars of Iran’s military capability.
“The mission is laser-focused: obliterate Iran’s missiles and drones and facilities that produce them, annihilate its navy and critical security infrastructure, and sever their pathway to nuclear weapons. Iran will never possess a nuclear bomb,” he said.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said the operation targets Iran’s missile systems, naval forces and military infrastructure.
“We are targeting and eliminating Iran’s ballistic missile systems to prevent them from threatening the US forces, partners, and interests in the region,” Caine said. “Second, we are destroying the Iranian navy… Third, we’re ensuring Iran cannot rapidly rebuild or reconstitute its combat capability.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the operation’s objectives had remained unchanged since the campaign began.
“We are well on our way to achieving those objectives — annihilating Iran’s navy… taking out the ballistic missile threat that Iran posed to the United States and our troops and bases in the region… ensuring Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon, as well, and significantly weakening their proxies in the region,” she said.
(IANS)
