War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that an Iranian commander tied to a plot to assassinate President Donald Trump has been eliminated in Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury.
According to Fox News, Hegseth told reporters, "The leader of the unit that attempted to assassinate Trump has been hunted down and killed," describing the strike as a direct response to Tehrans campaign of terror. He added, "Iran tried to kill President Trump and President Trump got the last laugh," while cautioning, "Now, this is not a mission accomplished situation. This is simply a reality check."
The attempted assassination, traced to Iran-linked operatives in 2024, followed years of explicit threats from Tehran after the 2020 U.S. strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani. In 2022, the regimes propaganda machine escalated further, releasing an animated video that depicted an assassination attempt on Trump while he played golf.
U.S. officials confirmed earlier this week that American strikes beginning Saturday killed Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, marking a dramatic escalation in Washingtons confrontation with the Islamic Republic. Reflecting on Khameneis death in a call to ABC News Jonathan Karl, Trump said: "I got him before he got me."
"They tried twice," Trump continued, referring to Iran's previous attempts on his life. "Well, I got him first." For many conservatives, the operation underscores a doctrine of peace through strength, contrasting sharply with years of accommodationist policies that emboldened Tehran.
Hegseth on Wednesday credited the close partnership between Washington and Jerusalem, saying the combined "U.S. and Israeli intelligence and combat power 'will control Iran and will control it soon.'" Declaring that American resolve is now unmistakable, Hegseth concluded, "America is winning decisively, devastatingly and without mercy."
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