What They're Saying About Operation Epic Fury—April 7
U.S.
President Donald Trump | Truth Social
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!”
President Donald Trump | Truth Social
“Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” [referring to his new deadline for a deal with Iran]
President Donald Trump | Truth Social
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”
“If [a deal to end the war] happens, it happens. And if it doesn’t, we’re blowing up the whole country. . . . Very little [is off limits] . . . [The war] should be wrapped up in days because no sane group of people could stand the punishment that’s going to rain down on them if it’s not. . . . I don’t want to talk about [attacking civilian infrastructure]. But the civilians want me to do it. Okay, the civilians, you know, when they’re most unhappy, when they don’t hear bombs going off because they’re living in hell.”
“I’m not even sure they [the Iranian regime] have any [mine droppers] by the way . . . they say there might be eight. I don’t know, I think there might be none—because they’re very good bullshit artists . . . for 47 years, they’ve been bullshitting other presidents.”
President Donald Trump | Politico
“If I had my choice, I’d keep the oil. But I also want to make the people of our country happy. Unfortunately the American people would like to see us come home. If it were up to me, I’d take the oil, I’d keep the oil, it would bring plenty of money. I’d also take care of the people of Iran much better than they’ve been taken care of. . . . You know what’s a war crime? Having a nuclear weapon. Allowing a sick country, with demented leadership, [to] have a nuclear weapon—that’s a war crime.”
“We sent guns, a lot of guns. They were supposed to go to the people, so they could fight back against these thugs. You know what happened? The people that they sent them to [Iranian Kurds] kept them.”
President Donald Trump | Truth Social
“WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND!”
“I hope they [the Iranian regime] make the right response . . . They’ve got to know, we’ve got tools in our toolkit that we so far haven’t decided to use. @POTUS can decide to use them, and he will decide to use them if the Iranians don’t change their course of conduct.”
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine | X
“This was an incredibly dangerous mission, an incredibly dangerous undertaking, but a filled promise made to every American warfighter—that you will not be left behind. We will always come find you, and we will always bring you home.”
“🚫 CLAIM: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claim they attacked and struck the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) with missiles, forcing it to withdraw from the region to the southern Indian Ocean.
“✅ FACT: USS Tripoli has not been attacked and continues to sail in the Arabian Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury. The America-class amphibious assault ship serves as the flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group / 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit composed of about 3,500 Sailors and Marines in addition to transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault and tactical assets.”
“U.S. forces are taking out attack drones used by the Iranian regime to threaten Americans and indiscriminately target civilians in neighboring countries.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio | X
“Until recently, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter were green card holders living lavishly in the United States. Afshar is the niece of deceased Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani. She is also an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime who celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to our country as the ‘Great Satan.’ This week, I terminated both Afshar and her daughter’s legal status and they are now in ICE custody, pending removal from the United States. The Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes.”
CIA Director John Ratcliffe | X
“CIA executed a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians, who were desperately hunting for our airmen. On Saturday morning, we achieved our primary objective by finding and providing confirmation that one of America’s best and bravest was alive. . . . Following the successful exfiltration on Saturday night, our intelligence reflects that the Iranians were embarrassed, and ultimately humiliated by the success of this audacious rescue mission.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee | X
“Just met w/ @IsraeliPM to thank @Israel on behalf of American ppl for unprecedented assistance to US Military & Intel agencies who conducted a historic rescue mission of our air crew in Iran. US [Special Forces] carried out brilliant op. @IDF & Mossad were helpful partners in the mission.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries | X
“Congress must immediately end this reckless war of choice in Iran before Donald Trump plunges us into World War III. It’s time for every single Republican to put patriotic duty over party and stop the madness. Enough.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer | X
“Happy Easter, America. As you head off to church and celebrate with friends and family, the President of the United States is ranting like an unhinged madman on social media. He’s threatening possible war crimes and alienating allies. This is who he is, but this is not who we are. Our country deserves so much better.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer | X
“This [President Trump] is an extremely sick person. Each Republican who refuses to join us in voting against this wanton war of choice owns every consequence of whatever the hell this is.”
Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner | X
“Threatening to end an entire civilization is beyond depraved. Where are Republicans? Will they speak out against this open threat to commit war crimes or continue their reckless, dangerous silence?”
Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner | X
“We’re more than one month in to the president’s war of choice with Iran, and instead of presenting a clear plan of action to the American people, Trump spent Easter spewing swears and threatening war crimes.”
House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Jim Himes | Financial Times
“I think it’s beginning to dawn on Donald Trump that we’re not winning this. Yes, we sank their navy and broke a lot of their missile launchers, but . . . gasoline prices are going up to $5 a gallon, and that will be fatal to his political future and to the political future of the Republicans who have kowtowed him for a solid year. So I think he is desperately looking for a way out right now, and the problem is that there’s not an obvious way out.”
“Having a diplomatic end to the war that achieves the United States’ key objectives for Iran is the preferred outcome. I really appreciate the hard work of @POTUS’ negotiating team, which has defined diplomatic breakthroughs that can end this war in a way that prevents Iran from being the largest state sponsor of terrorism, having missiles that terrorize the region and the world, and forever closes a path to a nuclear weapon. However, we must remember who we’re dealing with in Iran: an evil regime that is severely wounded and has cheated at every turn. Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, a scenario that cannot be allowed to occur is that the Iranian regime clung to survival because it acquired control of the strait and blackmailed the world. It must be clear that when this war is over - either via diplomacy or military action - that control of the Strait of Hormuz does not lie with Iran. As to the highly enriched uranium, it is imperative that not one ounce be allowed to exist in Iran - buried or not.”
“I totally support [President Trump’s] ultimatum to the Iranian regime to open up the Strait of Hormuz and to do a peace deal. A massive military operation awaits Iran if they choose poorly. This regime has been severely crippled through Operation Epic Fury. Their reign of terror against the region and the world needs to come to an end, hopefully through a peace deal. After speaking with President Trump this morning, I am completely convinced that he will use overwhelming military force against the regime if they continue to impede the Strait of Hormuz and refuse a diplomatic solution to achieve our military objectives. If it’s not clear to Iran and others by now that President Trump means what he says then I don’t know when it will ever be. Choose wisely.”
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) | X
“Trump is calling reporters today to tell them he is going to commit mass war crimes next week. GOP leaders need to stop him. Never mind that blowing up bridges and power plants and killing innocent Iranians won’t reopen the Strait. It’s also a clear war crime.”
ISRAEL
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu | X
“Together with our American friends, we continue to crush the terror regime in Iran. We are eliminating commanders, bombing bridges, bombing infrastructure. In recent days, the Air Force has destroyed 70% of Iran's steel production capacity. This is a tremendous achievement that deprives the Revolutionary Guards of both financial sources and the ability to produce a large number of weapons. In full coordination between myself and President Trump, between the IDF and the United States Army, we will continue to crush Iran. This regime is weaker than ever—Israel is stronger than ever.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu | X
“We are crushing the terrorist regime in Iran. But we are doing so with even greater vigor, and increasing force. Yesterday, we destroyed transport planes and dozens of helicopters. Today, we attacked the train tracks and bridges used by the Revolutionary Guards.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz | Associated Press
“Iran’s leaders live with a sense of being targeted. We will continue to hunt them down one by
one.”
“ELIMINATED: Majid Khademi, the Head of Intelligence of the IRGC. Khademi was one of the IRGC’s most senior commanders and had accumulated extensive experience over many years. Khademi worked to advance terrorist attacks worldwide, and was responsible for monitoring Iranian civilians as part of the regime’s suppression of internal protests.”
“🎯🧪STRUCK: A key petrochemical compound in Shiraz. The facility was one of the last remaining compounds producing critical chemical components for explosives and materials for developing ballistic missiles in Iran. Simultaneously, the IDF struck a large ballistic missile array site in northwestern Iran.”
IRAN
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei | X
“Once again, the US‑Zionist enemy, who has faced repeated defeats in its Imposed War on Islamic Iran, has resorted to its perennial weapon of Zionist terrorism, assassinating Martyr Major Gen. Majid Khademi, one of the commanders of the country’s intelligence & security community.”
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf | X
“Your reckless moves are dragging the United States into a living HELL for every single family, and our whole region is going to burn because you insist on following Netanyahu’s commands. Make no mistake: You won’t gain anything through war crimes. The only real solution is respecting the rights of the Iranian people and ending this dangerous game.”
“‘Shut up’ is not the appropriate response to Trump’s ramblings; let him speak more. Nothing is more effective in laying bare the true nature of the United States than Trump’s outbursts.
President Masoud Pezeshkian | X
“Does threatening to send an entire nation back to the Stone Age mean anything other than a massive war crime? This was the question I asked my Finnish counterpart, who is a jurist. History is full of those who paid a heavy price for their silence in the face of criminals.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian | X
“Over 14 million proud Iranians have, up to this moment, declared their readiness to sacrifice their lives in defense of Iran. I too have been, am, and will be a sacrificer for Iran.”
Yadollah Rahmani, Governor General of Iran’s Southern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province | BBC
“Those who succeed in capturing or killing hostile enemy forces will be specially commended by the Governor’s office.”
Chief of Iranian Mission in Cairo Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour | Associated Press
“We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.”
GULF STATES
Anwar Gargash, Senior Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President | X
“I believe the Iranian strategy will actually concretize the American role in the Gulf, moving forward. It will not reduce it. We will also see Israeli influence become more prominent in the Gulf, not less.”
“The Ministry of Defense announced that on April 7, 2026, the UAE Air Defense Forces intercepted 1 ballistic missile and 11 drones originating from Iran. Since the start of Iran's brazen attacks, the UAE Air Defense Forces have intercepted 520 ballistic missiles, 26 cruise missiles, and 2,221 drones. No cases of martyrdom, injuries, or fatalities were recorded in the past hours, and thus, since the start of Iran's brazen attacks, the total number of martyrs stands at two, in addition to the martyrdom of a Moroccan national civilian contractor with the armed forces. Meanwhile, the total number of fatalities is 10 civilians of the following nationalities: Pakistani, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, Palestinian, Indian, and Egyptian.”
Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed al-Ansari | Al Arabiya
“We have been warning since 2023 that escalation left unchecked will get us into a situation where it cannot be controlled and we are very close to that point. This is why we have been urging all parties to find a resolution to find a way of ending this war before it’s too late.”
EUROPE
French President Emmanuel Macron | New York Times
“It is unrealistic [to open the Strait of Hormuz by force] because it would take an inordinate amount of time and would expose anyone crossing the strait to coastal threats from the Revolutionary Guards, who possess significant resources, as well as ballistic missiles, a host of other risks.”
French President Emmanuel Macron | BBC
“This is not a show. We are talking about war and peace and the lives of men and women. When you want to be serious you don’t say every day the opposite of what you said the day before. And maybe you shouldn’t be speaking every day. You should just let things quiet down.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot | MS NOW
“[Attacks targeting civilian and energy infrastructure] are barred by the rules of war, international law. They would without doubt trigger a new phase of escalation, of reprisals, that would drag the region and the world economy into a vicious circle that would be very worrying and, most of all, very damaging to our own interests.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez | X
“I have spoken with the President of Egypt, @AlsisiOfficial, with the King of Jordan, @KingAbdullahII, and with the Emir of Qatar, @TamimBinHamad. We all desire a prosperous and peaceful Middle East. An escalation of the conflict would mean a devastating global setback. Spain demands the immediate end to this war.”
UK Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch | Guardian
“If I was speaking to [President Trump], I’d be saying: ‘If you break it, you own it.’ That’s what Colin Powell, a former secretary of state in the US, had said. ‘If you break it, you own it.’ He started this war. We said that if he needed support against Iran . . . use our airbases. That’s one of the things that Britain has done. He should now not be abandoning a mess that he’s made, if he thinks that it is a mess.”
European Council President António Costa | X
“After five weeks of war in the Middle East, it is clear that only a diplomatic solution will settle its root causes. Any targeting of civilian infrastructure, namely energy facilities, is illegal and unacceptable. This applies to Russia’s war in Ukraine and it applies everywhere. The Iranian civilian population is the main victim of the Iranian regime. It would also be the main victim of a widening of the military campaign. As I stressed in my recent call with the President of Iran,
@DrPezeshkian, the European Union urges Iran to immediately put an end to its attacks against countries in the region and to allow for the reestablishment of full freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Escalation will not achieve a ceasefire and peace. Only negotiations will, namely the ongoing efforts led by regional partners.”
RUSSIA & UKRAINE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy | X
“Our signal to the United States and countries in the Middle East about the Strait of Hormuz was that we were open to discussing it. As of today, I don't see any country lifting the blockade on its own, only joint steps can bring results. Ukraine has experience with launching the Grain Corridor in the Black Sea despite Russia’s attempts to block the flow of food and other goods. The situation now is similar, but it is about energy. ur suggestion – based on our experience – was as follows. The war and the negotiations on reopening the Hormuz Strait can go in parallel. It’s worth trying to find a diplomatic solution, and this could be beneficial for both sides in the war. An alternative step would be to control the Strait unilaterally, as Ukraine did with the Grain Corridor. Achieving this would require interceptors, military convoys to escort the vessels, a large integrated electronic warfare network, and other tools. We stand ready to help with this.”
Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov | Jerusalem Post
“Representatives of the Russian political leadership have repeatedly dissented from the ‘accusations’ that our country allegedly provides intelligence data to Iran. This issue continues to be artificially inflated in the media. Though the coordinates of locations of military bases in the region, not to mention civilian facilities, are public information, which everyone is aware of.”
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