White House says Trump launched strikes on Iran based on a 'feeling,' prompting fallout
Mar 4th 2026
At a contentious briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump ordered strikes on Iran because he had a "feeling" Iran would attack, leaving reporters and lawmakers seeking clearer evidence and prompting bipartisan concern and congressional action.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump launched Operation Epic Fury because he had a "feeling, based on fact," that Iran would strike U.S. interests.
- Reporters repeatedly pressed Leavitt to identify the "imminent threat" that justified the strikes and she declined to provide specific evidence, rejecting the premise of the question.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier said Israel pressured the United States and that preemptive action would reduce U.S. casualties, comments he and others later sought to walk back or reframe.
- A strike on a girls school in Minab that reportedly killed dozens of children has been widely documented by journalists and is under investigation, with the White House saying it is not aware of U.S. responsibility.
- Democratic and some Republican lawmakers said a classified briefing left them concerned about shifting justifications and the absence of a clear endgame for the campaign.
- Congress is moving toward a war powers resolution to limit unauthorized military action against Iran while House leadership opposes curbing the president's military authority.
- Administration officials list degrading Iran's missile, naval, and nuclear pathways as Operation Epic Fury objectives, while the press secretary would not say whether regime change is a goal.