Trump Says US May Launch Another 'Epic Fury' Strike on Iran, Citing Possible Deal as Alternative
Photo: TruthoutPresident Donald Trump said Friday that the United States may carry out another round of strikes on Iran, telling a midterm campaign rally in Fort Myers, Florida, that Washington might do another little Epic Fury unless Tehran agrees to a deal. Epic Fury is the joint Israeli-American military operation that began the war with Iran at the end of February; the war is nearing its eight-month mark. Trump did not elaborate. He has previously signaled openness to resuming strikes after a long diplomatic deadlock, but not before the November 3 congressional elections. On Thursday he said US forces had already hit Iran hard and might go a little further. Earlier Friday he told reporters the US controls the Strait of Hormuz, lets other countries ship oil through it and restricts Iran's exports, and said the US could take the whole country and all its oil. Rising fuel prices are weighing on the midterm campaign.
Left-leaning outlets tracked by Crosswire had not reported this story at the time of writing, while alternative/independent and right-leaning outlets had. Right-leaning Breitbart labels the remarks a threat in its headline and presents them as an escalation amid rising US economic pressure. It gives the most space to Trump's own words: the offer of a deal, his doubt that Iran is smart enough to take it, the Hormuz claims and his statement that the US could take the country. It omits fuel prices and the pledge to wait until after the election. Alternative outlets France 24 and Truthout focus instead on the midterm context, the fuel-price pressure and Trump's earlier promise to pause strikes. Truthout's headline also says Trump claimed ignorance while his ambassador threatened strikes this weekend, a detail the other outlets do not carry.
How the sides differ Left sources have not covered it; right sources stress Trump's threats and Hormuz claims, while alternative sources stress his earlier pledge to hold off strikes until after the midterms.
Headline, comparison and summary written by AI from the articles below. AI can make mistakes, so check the original articles before relying on a detail.
Not covering this story. None of the left-leaning outlets Crosswire tracks has reported it yet. What one side leaves out can be as telling as what the others report.
France 24 reports Trump's remark in the context of the war's eight-month mark, fuel prices and the midterms. Truthout stresses his earlier pledge to pause strikes and an ambassador's threat of weekend strikes.
Breitbart leads with Trump's warning of more strikes unless Iran agrees to a deal, and quotes his claims about controlling the Strait of Hormuz and being able to take Iran's oil.