Condoleezza Rice Urges Trump Administration To ‘Take Care Of Iran For Good’
Former U. S. Secretary of State condoleezza rice urged the Trump administration to “take care of Iran for good, ” saying Operation Epic Fury has created a moment to strip Tehran of the ability to project military force beyond its borders.
Condoleezza Rice: seize a moment of vulnerability
Rice praised coordinated U. S. -Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and described the operation as an effort to “neuter” Iran’s military power inside and beyond its borders. Speaking on Special Report, she said the campaign is not the start of a new war but a targeted attempt to render Iran “essentially defenseless. ” Rice urged the administration to “take care of it and render them incapable of those activities. “
Rice, who served as national security advisor and secretary of state under former President George W. Bush, argued Iran had expanded its military reach through proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas and warned that Iran has been hostile to the United States for decades. “Iran has been at war with us for at least 47 years, ” she said, and noted estimates that as many as “75 or 80%” of U. S. casualties in Iraq were tied to Iranian-made roadside bombs.
Operation Epic Fury’s toll and scope
Central Command figures cited in recent coverage list six American service members killed and say 20 Iranian ships have been struck or sunk during Operation Epic Fury. The operation has employed more than 50, 000 troops, 200 fighters and two aircraft carriers.
Rice framed one clear goal for the campaign: to strip Iran of the ability to coordinate military action outside its borders and to deny any conventional umbrella for its nuclear ambitions. “If you can render Iran essentially incapable of military action against us and against our allies, that’s worthy, ” she told News chief political anchor Bret Baier.
Warnings about mission creep and political pushback
At the same time, Rice cautioned against mission creep and acknowledged uncertainty about the aftermath of any military operation. She said the outcome remains complicated and urged careful consideration of what comes next if the administration seeks to immobilize the regime’s capacity to strike beyond its borders.
Political criticism has surfaced alongside support for the strikes. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned the campaign risks drawing the United States into a prolonged conflict, saying the fighting had already cost American lives and could carry heavy fiscal consequences.
The Trump administration has directed attacks against Iranian assets since last weekend, and Operation Epic Fury remains ongoing. Officials have described the campaign as aimed at neutering Iran’s military reach; how long the operation continues and what political or diplomatic steps will follow are matters the administration has left open for now.
