Iran no longer a 'very strong, powerful terrorist state' after Operation Epic Fury, Leavitt says

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Wednesday that Iran is no longer the "very strong, powerful terrorist state that they were" following the US's Operation Epic Fury. She attributed the recent collapse of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and renewed strikes against Iran to Tehran's violations, specifically their firing on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Leavitt quoted, "In the MoU that they signed, they were not to fire on commercial vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Unfortunately, they have made the tragic decision… to do that." She added that President Trump will not tolerate such acts of terror without Iran facing consequences. Leavitt also claimed that American strikes have "neutered" Iranian leadership's communication abilities, transforming the regime into a "fragmented system," while noting that the US remains open to diplomacy.