What They’re Saying About Operation Epic Fury—March 8, 2026
U.S.
President Donald Trump | ABC News
"He’s going to have to get approval from us," the president told ABC News. "If he doesn’t get approval from us he’s not going to last long. We want to make sure that we don’t have to go back every 10 years, when you don’t have a president like me that’s not going to do it." He added, "I don’t want people to have to go back in five years and have to do the same thing again or worse let them have a nuclear weapon." When asked if he would be willing to approve someone with ties to the old regime, Trump replied, "I would, in order to choose a good leader I would, yeah, I would. There are numerous people that could qualify."
President Donald Trump | Truth Social
“The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East.” “That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer – But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”
“The Iranian regime recently claimed (through their verified U.N. X account) that it has only tried to target military sites, and that its missiles and drones were thrown off course by U.S. Jedi mind tricks. LIE. U.S. forces have stood shoulder to shoulder with regional partners to protect against the Iranian regime’s deliberate, indiscriminate and irresponsible targeting of civilian airports, hotels and residential neighborhoods. TRUTH.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth | X
"If you kill Americans, if you threaten Americans anywhere on earth, we will hunt you down without apology and without hesitation and we will kill you."
Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Walts | X
“With POTUS as Commander in Chief, we are annihilating Iran’s military that has attacked Americans around the world for far too long: Destroying its missiles, Ending its progress toward a nuclear weapon, And crushing the regime’s ability to export terror.”
“Like everyone, I am heartbroken to hear of another fallen service member as a result of Operation Epic Fury, which was designed to end the Iranian regime’s reign of terror on the world. Just as with the other fallen, these brave Americans paid the ultimate sacrifice to take down one of the most barbaric regimes in the world. This is a reminder of the steep cost of freedom and being able to live without fear. May God keep all the fallen close and heal the wounded.”
ISRAEL
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu | Israeli Government Website
“And to the Iranian people I say: I have been speaking to you and for you for decades. The moment of truth is approaching. For we do not seek to divide Iran. We seek to liberate Iran and live in peace with it. But at the end of the day, liberation from the yoke of tyranny, this liberation will depend on you, the brave and long-suffering Iranian people. I believe that if you stand up at the moment of truth, the day will not be far off when Israel and Iran return to being brave friends.”
“The IDF can now reveal that the IRGC’s Air Force Headquarters, the main command-and-control center used to direct the regime’s air force activity, was targeted during wide-scale IDF strikes on dozens of Iranian terror regime targets.”
“The IDF eliminated 5 senior commanders in the IRGC Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps in a precise strike in Beirut.”
“The IDF completed an additional wave of strikes in Tehran including: ~50 ammunition bunkers. A Basij base. Internal security command center. A compound belonging to the IRGC's Ground Forces.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz | i24 NEWS
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told security forces to continue targeting Iranian officials involved in military activities directed against Israel. “Continue to track them all down,” the minister said during the meeting, according to a statement from his office.
IRAN
Iranian Assembly of Experts | Reuters
“"By a decisive vote, the Assembly of Experts, appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third Leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi | X
“President Pezeshkian expressed openness to de-escalation within our region-provided that our neighbors' airspace, territory, and waters are not used to attack the Iranian People. Gesture to our neighbors was almost immediately killed by President Trump.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi | X
“In Iran, an official could never travel to another country to collude with a foreign spy service on how to "coach" our own President into doing bidding of foreigners. We would ask what the foreign country may have on that official. And promptly charge him/her with High Treason.”
Iranian Parliament’s Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf | X
“Trump said oil prices wouldn't go too high, but now that they've risen, he says they'll correct soon! If the war continues like this, there'll be neither a way to sell oil nor the capacity to produce it. They're not only burning America's interests but also the interests of the region's countries and the world at the feet of Netanyahu's delusions.”
Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani | X
“I thank the people. You truly acted with genius, compassion, and zeal. Your presence in the streets is extraordinarily important for pushing back the enemy. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. This presence of yours is more valuable than the volume of fire we pour down on the Zionists. People, appreciate the worth of this presence of yours.”
GULF STATES
UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Foreign Ministry Website
“The United Arab Emirates affirms that it is in a state of defense in response to the brutal and unprovoked Iranian aggression, which included the launch of more than 1,400 ballistic missiles and drones targeting infrastructure and civilian sites, resulting in civilian deaths and injuries. These attacks constitute a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter, an infringement of the UAE’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a direct threat to its security and stability.”
“AE air defences today (8th March, 2026) detected 17 ballistic missiles, of which 16 were destroyed, while 1 missile fell into the sea. A total of 117 UAVs were also detected, with 113 intercepted, while 4 UAVs fell within the country’s territory. Since the start of the Iranian attacks, 238 ballistic missiles have been detected. Of these, 221 were destroyed, 15 fell into the sea and 2 landed within the country. A total of 1,422 Iranian UAVs have also been detected, of which 1,342 were intercepted, while 80 fell within the country’s territory. 8 cruise missiles were also detected and destroyed.”
Bahraini Ministry of Interior | X
“Iranian aggression indiscriminately attacked civilian targets and caused material damage to a water desalination plant following a drone attack.”
Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs | X
“The State of Qatar expresses its heartfelt condolences to the State of Kuwait following the deaths of two security officers while on duty. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs carries Doha's full solidarity with the government and people of Kuwait during the painful loss of two officers of Kuwait's General Directorate of Land Border Security and reiterates Qatar's support for all measures taken by Kuwait to safeguard its sovereignty and security.”
Spokesman of Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense Colonel Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi | X
“The Kuwaiti Armed Forces, since the dawn of Sunday, March 8, 2026, have intercepted a wave of hostile aerial targets that breached the country's airspace. Air defense systems detected (7) hostile ballistic missiles, successfully intercepting and destroying (3) of them, while (4) other missiles were not engaged as they were outside the threat range and posed no danger. Additionally, (5) hostile drones were detected, which air defense systems engaged, managing to destroy (2) of them, while (3) were not destroyed.”
“On behalf of HH the Foreign Minister, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. @W_Elkhereiji participated in the Extraordinary Session of the Arab League Council at the Ministerial Level. The meeting condemned the blatant Iranian attacks against a number of Arab countries and the resulting targeting of civilians, vital facilities, and diplomatic missions. It also discussed ways to strengthen joint Arab action to achieve regional security and stability.”
LEBANON
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam | Kurdistan24
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Saturday that Lebanon refuses to tie its national policy and security decisions to Iran’s interests, stressing that the government is taking political, diplomatic, and security measures to manage the impact of the ongoing conflict with Israel while maintaining independent state authority.
TURKEY
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan | Daily Sabah
"Israel has adopted a strategy of causing instability, conflicts, and civil wars throughout the region. Together with our friendly and brotherly countries, we have adopted a peace-oriented policy against this approach. . . . "I want to emphasize once again that we strongly condemn attacks targeting third countries.”
EUROPE
UK forces successfully engaged a one-way attack drone fired from Iran towards Iraq last night. The engagement occurred as RAF Typhoons and F-35 jets continued to conduct defensive sorties across the region. A Merlin helicopter is due to arrive in theatre, further strengthening our ability to detect aerial threats. The aircraft can fly up to a mile in height, giving advance warning of incoming drones or “missiles.”
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper | Sky News
"I think the point is to make sure that actually we learn the lessons from some of the things that went wrong in Iraq. And I think that is exactly what Keir Starmer has done. And to make sure we've got military action taking place as we speak to defend countries that are facing Iranian strikes, because that is in the British national interest. But we don't do things that are not in the British national interest."
French President Emmanuel Macron | X
“I met with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian. I emphasized the necessity for Iran to immediately cease its strikes against countries in the region. Iran must also guarantee freedom of navigation by putting an end to the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Finally, I reiterated our grave concern regarding the development of Iran's nuclear and ballistic programs and the entirety of its destabilizing activities in the region, which lie at the root of the current crisis. A diplomatic solution is more necessary than ever to address these crucial challenges, put an end to the escalation, and preserve peace.”
UKRAINE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy | X
“Russia provides assistance to the Iranian regime. We know what has been provided so far, although the exact volumes of such a help not full known. The good thing is that the Iranian regime does not seem to be able to provide Russia with missiles and some other weapons which they use in attacks against Ukraine.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy | X
“We have received some messages regarding how to help civilians in the Middle East and how to help American soldiers deployed in certain countries. We responded: we will send experts and provide everything needed to protect them. Many issues are being discussed in this dialogue. If we are talking about increasing capabilities, we would very much like this to be a beneficial for both sides. We discuss this track.”
RUSSIA
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova | CGTN
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova called on Azerbaijan and Iran to exercise restraint and avoid taking hasty actions following a drone attack on Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave, the ministry's website said on Saturday.
Receive Iran News in Your Inbox.
Eye on Iran is a news summary from United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), a section 501(c)(3) organization. Eye on Iran is available to subscribers on a daily basis or weekly basis.