What They’re Saying About Operation Epic Fury—March 16, 2026
U.S.
“We strongly encourage other nations whose economies depend on the strait [of Hormuz], far more than ours . . . we want them to come and help us with the strait.”
“We’re doing very well . . . They want to make a deal but they’re not ready to make a deal in my opinion. . . . Kharg Island is out of commission except for the pipes, which I left. I didn’t want to hit the pipes because, you know, it’s years of work to put them together. . . . I left a lot of infrastructure in Tehran because if you did it, it’s years of building . . . I could knock out the electric plants in one hour . . . but if I do that, that’s years of rebuilding and it's trauma. So I’m trying to hold off on that kind of thing.”
“They [the Iranian regime] have been totally obliterated. The air force is gone. The navy is gone. Many, many ships have been sunk. . . . And anti-aircraft is decimated. Their radar is gone and their leaders are gone. Other than that, they’re doing quite well. They’ve been a terror for 47 years, and now I guess the world, through the United States, with the help of Israel, is doing what should have been done many years ago . . . And, as you know, we attacked Kharg Island and . . . literally destroyed everything on the island except for the area where the oil is. We didn’t want to do that, but we will do that. We can do that on five minutes’ notice. It’ll be over.”
“Iran has NO ability to defend anything that we want to attack — There is nothing they can do about it!”
President Donald Trump | Truth Social
“Iran has long been known as a Master of Media Manipulation and Public Relations. They are Militarily ineffective and weak, but are really good at ‘feeding’ the very appreciative Fake News Media false information. Now, A.I. has become another Disinformation weapon that Iran uses, quite well, considering they are being annihilated by the day. They showed phony ‘Kamikaze Boats,’ shooting at various Ships at Sea, which looks wonderful, powerful, and vicious, but these Boats don’t exist — It’s all false information to show how ‘tough’ their already defeated Military is! . . . The fact is, Iran is being decimated, and the only battles they ‘win’ are those that they create through AI, and are distributed by Corrupt Media Outlets.”
“It’ll be wrapped up soon. We're going to have a much safer world. I had an obligation to do this . . . you want to see a stock market go down? Start letting them hit you with nukes, okay.”
“What the President said consistently going back to 2015 — and I agreed with him — was that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon. . . . I trust President Trump to get the job done . . . and to make sure that the mistakes of the past aren’t repeated.”
Central Command Commander Adm. Brad Cooper | X
“We continue to remain centered on our military objectives. These are well defined, and include eliminating Iran’s ballistic missiles, drones, and naval threats. It’s one thing to defend by striking launchers and intercepting missiles and drones, but it’s another thing to eliminate the wider manufacturing apparatus behind them, and we are doing that, today. . . . U.S. and partner strikes are doing exactly what they are intended to do: Deliver on very clear military objectives to eliminate Iran’s ability to project power against Americans and against its neighbors. We’re also zeroed in on dismantling Iran’s decades-old threat to the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz. Through a combination of air, land, and maritime capabilities, we have successfully destroyed over a hundred Iranian naval vessels, and we aren’t done.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent | X
“Iran was the head of the snake for global terrorism everywhere . . . everywhere that there is chaos and terrorist mayhem, it is Iran — so this is a generational opportunity to end this.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries | X
“Republicans are spending billions of your taxpayer dollars to drop bombs in the Middle East. This after the GOP enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. These extremists don’t give a damn about you.”
ISRAEL
“🎯⚓️IRGC NAVAL HEADQUARTERS DISMANTLED
“In a precise strike last week, the IAF dismantled the headquarters used by senior naval commanders to manage operations and advance international maritime terrorist activities. The IRGC’s Navy is responsible for terror attacks on civilian vessels and for arming proxy terrorist groups by transferring weapons by sea.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar | X
“Where is Mojtaba [Khamenei]? I mean, they elected a leader, he is not there. You can hide, but it’s better to show up. You can have a video and prove you are alive.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar | X
“I think we are already in a situation where Iran is much weaker. Iran is not the country it was three weeks ago.”
IRAN
Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani | Iran International
“In a statement addressed to Muslims across the world and to the governments of Islamic countries, Larijani slammed the response of Muslim governments to the US-Israeli attacks which began in late February, regretting that ‘no Islamic government stood alongside the people of Iran except in rare cases and limited to political positions.’ ‘Is the position of some Islamic governments not in contradiction with the words of the Prophet of Islam who said: ‘Whoever hears the cry for help of a Muslim and does not respond is not a Muslim’?’ he said. ‘So what kind of Islam is this?’ In an apparent reference to the United Arab Emirates, Larijani said some governments had gone further by calling Iran an enemy because it targeted what he called ‘American bases and US and Israeli interests on their soil.’ ‘Is Iran expected to sit idly by while American bases in your countries are used to attack it?’ Larijani asked. “These are weak excuses.” Larijani urged Muslim countries to reconsider their positions, saying the confrontation today was between ‘the United States and Israel on one side and Muslim Iran and the forces of resistance on the other.’ ‘Which side of this battle do you stand on?’ he asked. . . . ‘Iran continues on the path of resistance against the ‘Great Satan’ and the ‘Little Satan,’ meaning the United States and Israel,’ he said.”
Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani | X
“Now Trump says the scenes of millions of people who just gathered in anti-US and anti-Israel marches across many Iranian cities were AI-generated. The historic victory of Iran over the remnants of the Epstein Island network is near.”
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf | X
“The criminal Israeli regime seeks to harm the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque in pursuit of its sinister agenda. We must remain vigilant against such false-flag operations by the regime. The unified Muslim ummah must stay aware and be prepared at every moment to act in a coordinated manner.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian | X
“In my conversation with the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, I emphasized that Iran did not begin this atrocious war. Defending against invasion is a natural right, in which we are good at. Using the American bases against Iran in the region, with the purpose of disturbing our relations with our neighbors, should be stopped. Peace and stability in the region, cannot be achieved while disregarding the Zionist-American invasion in our country. The Islamic Republic of Iran will not surrender to bullies. We expect the global community to condemn this invasion and convince invaders to respect international laws. Commencing a war in order to conquest, based on false information, is a medieval act in 21st century. Speaking of ending the war, is meaningless, until we ensure there will be no more attacks in our land in the future.”
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi | X
“Hundreds of Iranian civilians have been killed in Israel-U.S. bombings, including over 200 children. Reports claim that some neighboring states which host U.S. forces and permit attacks on Iran are also actively encouraging this slaughter. Stances should be promptly clarified.”
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi | X
“My last contact with Mr. [Steve] Witkoff was prior to his employer's decision to kill diplomacy with another illegal military attack on Iran. Any claim to the contrary appears geared solely to mislead oil traders and the public.”
GULF STATES
“The UAE air defence systems on 16th March 2026 engaged 6 ballistic missiles and 21 UAVs launched from Iran. Since the onset of the blatant Iranian aggression, UAE air defences have engaged 304 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,627 UAVs. These attacks have resulted in the martyrdom of 2 members of the armed forces while performing their national duty, as well as 5 fatalities of Pakistani, Nepali, Bangladeshi and Palestinian nationalities. A total of 145 people were also injured, with injuries ranging from minor to moderate and severe.”
Qatari Ministry of Defense | X
“The Ministry of Defense of the State of Qatar announces that the State of Qatar was subjected to an attack involving (14) ballistic missiles and a number of drones launched from the Islamic Republic of Iran today, Monday. Our Armed Forces, by the grace of God, successfully intercepted all drones and (13) ballistic missiles, while one missile landed in an uninhabited area without causing any losses.”
EUROPE
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas | X
“The closure of the Strait of Hormuz hurts the global economy and helps Russia fund its war. It is affecting our partners in the region and is dangerous for global energy supplies. Today, EU Foreign Ministers will discuss how to better protect shipping in the region, including contributions from our Aspides naval mission.”
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer | X
“I will always make decisions in the national interest. That’s why we did not join the offensive action against Iran.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz | X
“We will not participate in ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz by military means. The war in the Middle East is not a matter for NATO. Therefore, Germany will also not become involved militarily.”
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