President Donald Trump said on Oct. 23 that the United States may launch a “little” version of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military operation that started the conflict with Iran in late February.
“We may do another little Epic Fury, or they’ll agree,” Trump told a crowd at a midterm rally in Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday. “If they’re smart, they’ll just say, ‘Let’s get down to business.’ But I doubt they’ll do that because perhaps they’re not smart.”
The president’s comments come as the military conflict between the United States and Iran has stalled in recent weeks. The Trump administration has shifted tactics and increased economic pressure on Iran with the U.S. military blockade of Iranian ports and sanctions under Operation Economic Outcast.
Prior to the president’s comments, U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack said that there “absolutely” could be a U.S. strike against Iran as early as this weekend.
“The president is very clear. He’s open and available and accessible to a deal. And we’ve been at the table for months and months and months,” Barrack said.
Asked about Barrack’s suggestion that the United States could strike Iran over the weekend, Trump told reporters, “If that’s the case, I don’t know anything about it.”
This is a developing story that will be updated.
We had a problem loading this article. Please enable javascript or use a different browser. If the issue persists, please visit our help center.