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March 2, 2026 16 mins

In today’s White House Briefing Room, Jonn Decker breaks down the rapidly escalating conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran as “Operation Epic Fury” enters its third day.

President Trump provides a sweeping update on the ongoing military campaign, confirming expanded strikes on Iranian targets, warning of continued operations, and signaling that the mission may not end until the Iranian threat is fully eliminated. The administration also acknowledges U.S. casualties, with the president cautioning that more could come in the days ahead.

Meanwhile, Iran launches retaliatory attacks across the Middle East, targeting U.S. bases and key infrastructure in multiple countries—raising fears of a broader regional war.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are sharply divided. Republicans largely back the president’s actions, while Democrats push for War Powers resolutions, arguing Congress was bypassed in the decision to strike.

Plus:

  • The latest intelligence on strikes against Iran’s military and IRGC infrastructure

  • New leadership uncertainty inside Iran following major losses

  • Growing concerns over global oil markets and inflation

  • Why the Strait of Hormuz could become the most critical flashpoint

  • How this conflict could reshape the geopolitical and economic landscape

With oil prices already rising and tensions intensifying, this developing story could have far-reaching consequences for global security and the U.S. economy.

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the White House Briefing Room for Monday, March second.
I'm John Decker. President Trump updates the world on the
ongoing US military operation against Iran.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Over the past thirty six hours, the United States and
its partners have launched Operation Epic Fury, one of the largest,
most complex, most overwhelming military offensives the world has ever seen.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
Nobody's seen anything.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
Like mixed reaction in Congress to the Iranian strikes, and
the ongoing conflict from Iran is expected to impact oil
markets around the world. But we begin with the President
giving a readout concerning what is now known as Operation
Epic Fury. The US israelly military operation in Iran enters

(00:56):
its third day Monday, and there were new explosions in Tehran.
After hundreds of Iranian targets were struck Saturday and Sunday.
Iran's military announced fresh strikes against US bases in the
region on Sunday. In addition to Ayatollahamanei, a number of

(01:16):
top Iranian military and political officials were killed in strikes.
Iran is now entering what it calls a transitional period
until a new supreme leader is chosen. A three man
council will run the country. Iran's president, who's on that council,
appeared in a video on state television. As for President Trump,

(01:40):
he said the bombing would continue throughout the week or
as long as necessary. The White House put out a
video with the President late Sunday in which the President
detailed what has been hit so far by the US military.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
We have hit hundreds of targets in Iran, in Revolutionary
Guard facilities, Iranian air defense systems. Just now was announced
that we knocked out nine ships plus their naval building.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
The President in that video said that Iran's supreme leader
has been taken out.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Irans formerly supreme leader, Ayatola Hamene is dead. This wretched
and vile man had the blood of hundreds and even
thousands of Americans on his hands and was responsible for
the slaughter of countless thousands of innocent people all across

(02:39):
many countries.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
The President made clear that the military operations which began
over the weekend will continue into the new week.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
Combat operations continue at this time in full force, and
they will continue until all of our objectives are achieved.
We have very strong objectives.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
The President also broke the news that there were casualties
in the US mission, and he detailed what those casualties
are in that video released by the White House.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
Earlier today, Sentcam shared the news that three US military
service members have been killed in action. As one nation,
we grieve for the true American patriots who have made
the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue
the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.

Speaker 3 (03:33):
We pray for.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
The full recovery of the wounded, and send our immense
love and eternal gratitude.

Speaker 3 (03:40):
To the families of the fallen.

Speaker 1 (03:42):
And The President in that video warned that there could
be more casualties in the days and weeks ahead.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends.
That's the way. It is likely be more, but will
do everything possible.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
Won't be the case, but for now, the President said,
the US is focused on the mission at hand. That
mission involves possible regime change in Iran.

Speaker 2 (04:10):
I resolve and likewise that of Israel has never been stronger.
America is now again the richest, most powerful nation in
the world by far.

Speaker 3 (04:22):
But the only reason we.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
Enjoy the quality of life that we do and the
freedom and security is we have done things that others
are unable to do. But it just because of warriors
who are willing to lay down their lives to do
battle with our enemies.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
For the President, in the second video released by the
White House since military operations against Iran began, he explained
what's at stake in terms of this military operation.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
Iranian regime armed with long range missiles and nuclear weapons
would be a die threat to every American. We cannot
allow a nation that raises terrorist armies to possess such weapons,
would allow them to extort the world to their evil will.

Speaker 3 (05:13):
Not can let it happen.

Speaker 1 (05:14):
President went on to say that the reason for the
continued military operation is because of the threat that Iran
poses to the entire world.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
Undertaking this massive operation not merely to ensure security for
our own time and place, but for our children and
their children, just as our ancestors have done for us
many many years ago.

Speaker 3 (05:39):
This is the duty and the burden of a free people.

Speaker 2 (05:43):
These actions are right and they are necessary to ensure
that Americans will never have to face a radical, bloodthirsty
terrorist regime armed with nuclear weapons and lots of threats.

Speaker 1 (05:57):
The President made clear that the mission against Iran will
not be over until the US puts down the Iranian threat.

Speaker 2 (06:05):
They are the world's number one state sponsor of terror.
We are the world's greatest and most powerful nations, so
we can do something about what they do. These intolerable
threats will not continue any longer.

Speaker 1 (06:18):
And the President concluded his video message with a message
to Iranian citizens to take over their country.

Speaker 2 (06:26):
We call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom
to seize this moment. To be brave, be bold, be heroic,
and take back your country.

Speaker 1 (06:37):
America is with Further detail was provided by both Israel
and the US. Both countries on Sunday said that they
had destroyed critical infrastructure belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Garkoup.
The US Central Demand said in a social media post
alongside of videos showing air strikes on several buildings at

(07:00):
a large scale US strike cut off the head of
the snake. It went on to say America has the
most powerful military on Earth and the IRGC no longer
has a headquarters. Sencom, which oversees US forces in the region,
also said it struck Iranian integrated air defense systems, navy

(07:21):
ships and submarines, anti ship missile sites, underground missile areas,
and military communications capabilities. Meanwhile, Israel's military said Sunday it
had struck dozens of the Iranian regimes military command centers,
including the IRGC Headquarters, Intelligence Headquarters, the IRGC Air Force

(07:46):
Command Centers, and Internal Security Headquarters. It also said it
took out ballistic missile arrays and aerial defense systems. Now
President Trump spoke with the leaders of Israel, bob Rain,
and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday. Iran has targeted
a US Navy facility in Bahrain. It has also struck

(08:08):
civilian airports, hotels, ports, and residential neighborhoods in those countries.
The scale of Iran's counter strikes against American allies in
the Middle East has come into focus as countries reveal
how many missiles and drones they've intercepted. Since the US

(08:28):
and Israel launched a wave of attacks on Tehran, Almost
four hundred missiles and about one thousand drones fired from
Iran were intercepted by security forces in five countries Jordan,
the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and bof Rain. Those figures don't

(08:49):
count the missiles and drones that got through air defenses,
hitting ports, airports, hotels, military bases, and other infrastructure. Other
countries have also been targeted but haven't released figures, including
Saudi Arabia and Oman. Israel said it is intercepted about
fifty unmanned aerial vehicles, but it hasn't disclosed how many

(09:14):
ballistic missiles it shot down. The US also hasn't disclosed
how many missiles and drones it has intercepted. Now. Altogether,
Israel and the US have struck two thousand targets since
the start of their joint military campaign in Iran on
Saturday morning. The Israeli military said it's fired thousands of

(09:37):
munitions and flown more than seven hundred sorties in Iran
since Saturday morning. Now, there is real concern that this
ongoing war on Iran could threaten to drive up oil
prices and inflation, not only in the United States, but
also around the world. US and Israeli strikes against the

(09:58):
Iranian regime and the military threatened to uphand the global
oil market and send shockwaves through the world economy. In fact,
the government of Katar, one of the world's biggest exporters
of liquefied natural gas, urged ship owners to suspend maritime activities.
Dozens of tankers diverted from the Persian Gulf in the

(10:21):
early hours of the conflict. The US Navy meanwhile, has
advised tanker companies to avoid nearby waters because it could
not guarantee their safety. Now, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary garcour has
worn vessels that passage through the Strait of Hormuz is
currently unsafe. An attempt to shut down the Strait of

(10:44):
Hormuz for a prolonged period would be a worst case
scenario for global oil markets. Almost a fifth of the
petroleum consumed around the world each day flows through the
Strait of Hormuz. In the past, the league supply outages,
or even the thread of them, have led to a
surge in oil prices that stoked inflation and rippled throughout

(11:09):
the world economy with far reaching consequences. In fact, oil
prices jumped Sunday after the US and Israel traded those
deadly blows with Iran across the Middle East. Benchmark US
oil futures rose more than seven percent to seventy two
nineteen barrel. Fears that a regional war could disrupt the

(11:31):
flow of crude through the Persian Gulf as well as
the Red Sea, have helped drive bent crude futures up
nineteen percent so far this year, and some oil analysts
say the situation in the Middle East now could send
crude prices back over one hundred dollars of barrel, a

(11:52):
level last seen in twenty twenty two, following Russia's full
scale invasion of Ukraine. Now lawmaker in Washington have been
following the events taking place in the Middle East very closely.
Top Trump administration officials on Tuesday will brief the full
Congress on the US led military strikes against Iran. Leading

(12:15):
the briefings for the House and the Senate will be
Secretary of State Marc or Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseath,
along with CIA Director John Ratcliffe and General Dan Kine,
the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. On Sunday,
the Pentagon brief the bipartisan staffs of several national security

(12:36):
committees in both chambers for more than ninety minutes. Those
briefings come against the backdrop of a divided congressional reaction
to the President's Iran mission. Republicans largely supported it and
justified the action taken by the President. Many Democrats memhile
criticized the mission for going forward without approval from m lawmakers.

(13:01):
Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune has commended the President
for the attack, calling Iran's nuclear ambitions and support for
terror groups a clear and unacceptable threat. Meanwhile, Democratic House
Minority Leader Hakim Jeffrey said the President failed to seek
authorization prior to launching what he called a massive military

(13:24):
strike that has left American troops vulnerable to Iran's retaliatory actions.
In fact, Congressional Democrats are moving to force votes to
curb the president's military action against Iran. They say the
White House acted without obtaining Congress's authorization. Lawmakers in both

(13:46):
chambers say they will seek war powers resolutions to block
the President from using military force against Iran in the future.
They also urged the Trump administration to justify the reason
for the strikes, calling them, in some cases unconstitutional. There
was also a reaction to the strikes and counter strikes

(14:10):
throughout the Mideast. Leaders of countries and the Persian Gulf
condemned Iran on Sunday for deadly retaliatory strikes that hit
eight countries, including Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
As for what comes next, Iran's foreign minister said Sunday

(14:30):
on ABC News that his country will do whatever it
takes to defend itself. As for the president, President Trump
on Sunday told The Atlantic he's agreed to talk to
new leadership Iran, but the White House at the same
time is downplaying the prospects of a near term diplomatic offering.

(14:51):
In fact, the President put out a truth social post
over the weekend in which he said the bombing will
continue uninterrupted throughout the the week, or as long as
necessary to achieve our objective of peace throughout the Middle
East and indeed the world. Hours later, the President put
out another social media post in which he said Iran

(15:14):
just stated that they're going to hit very hard today,
harder than they have ever hit before. He went on
to write, they better not do that, however, because if
they do, we will hit them with a force that
has never been seen before. As for the President's schedule
for Monday, the President has a number of items on

(15:34):
his schedule. At eight am, the President will participate in
Executive Time. At eleven am in the East Room, the
President will participate in the Medal of Honor ceremony, and
then the President in the afternoon has three additional items
on his schedule. All are listed as closed press. At
one point thirty, the President will participate in signing time.

(15:56):
At two o'clock, the President will participate in a policy meeting,
and the President at four o'clock will have another policy
meeting in the Oval Office. Clearly, much of the President's
time this week will be devoted to the ongoing military
conflict with Iran. That's the White House briefing Room for Monday,

(16:16):
March second. I'm John Decker.

Speaker 3 (16:19):
Have a good one.
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