One of the most absurd critiques of Operation Epic Fury from the liberal media is that President Donald Trump has not clearly defined his objectives or that he lacks a plan for his actions.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed this issue in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, effectively dismissing that notion by reiterating the main objectives that Trump outlined from the beginning. “You should write them down,” Rubio advised, if they can’t get it straight.
Ouch. Yikes. Whoa.
? JUST IN: Sec. Marco Rubio just DESTROYED Fake News George Stephanopoulos and the liberals who keep whining "we don't have clear objectives!"
"Here, you should WRITE THEM DOWN!"
"I'll repeat them to you now because I hear a lot of talk about we don't know what the clear… pic.twitter.com/XX0C01IAsj
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 30, 2026
“It’s about very specific objectives. The president laid them out on the first night of the operation,” Rubio said, adding:
I’ll repeat them to you now because I hear a lot of talk about: We don’t know what the clear objectives are. Here they are. You should write them down. Number one, the destruction of their Air Force. Number two, the destruction of their Navy. Number three, the severe diminishing of their missile launching capability. And number four, the destruction of their factories so they can’t make more missiles and more drones to threaten us in the future. All of this so they can never hide behind it to acquire a nuclear weapon.
Rubio mentioned that they were either on track or ahead regarding their goals, indicating they were discussing “weeks” rather than months.
He is correct, but the liberal media doesn’t care about the facts, they’re too far gone with their terminal Trump Derangement Syndrome. Despite hammering Iran every which way but loose, nearly every article suggests we are actually failing, ignoring the clear evidence that we have indeed been achieving our goals and weakening their military.
Rubio also highlighted to Bill Clinton’s top advisor the danger posed by Iran due to their support for terrorism, which has negatively affected us and led to numerous American fatalities over the past 47 years.
? MARCO RUBIO: "LOOK at this region. EVERY single terrorist group in this region has a link to the Iranian regime. Every single ONE!"
"All destabilization in this region tracks DIRECTLY back to the Iranian regime. Those things have to be addressed." ?pic.twitter.com/AXncewYbKv
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 30, 2026
“Look at this region. Every single terrorist group in this region has a link to the Iranian regime. Every single one!” Rubio asserted. “All destabilization in this region tracks directly back to the Iranian regime. Those things have to be addressed. And if Iran had been willing to address those in the past, we wouldn’t be having this interview on this topic right now.”
Rubio said the Iranian regime was crazy and had an “apocalyptic” vision of the future, which was why they must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. “And all of their neighbors know that by the way,” he stated. “Which is why they have been supportive of the effort.”
He hits the nail on the head again. Our European allies may play games because they believe the situation doesn’t affect them as directly, but the Gulf States are concerned about being targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. This conflict has reinforced their view of Iran as a significant threat.
Meanwhile, Rubio stated that Iran would not be allowed to control or toll the Strait of Hormuz, as that would negatively impact our previous objectives.
? BREAKING: Sec. Marco Rubio just told Iran NO, they will NEVER be allowed to toll oil tankers going through the Strait of Hormuz
"They are making threats about controlling the Hormuz Straits in perpetuity, creating a tolling system and the like. That's NOT going to be allowed… pic.twitter.com/fy1AQls2o6
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 30, 2026
He wouldn’t disclose what their response would be, and he was right to keep that information confidential. However, that uncertainty could ultimately lead to significant consequences, as it presents a continuous threat that the rest of the world may not want to face. This situation has already prompted countries like the United Arab Emirates to reportedly offer their navy to the coalition to ensure the Strait remains open.
The ball is in Iran’s court.
