Washington: The White House accused CNN of publishing false claims about US planning for a possible Iranian move to close the Strait of Hormuz, pushing back strongly against a report questioning whether American officials had prepared for the scenario during the ongoing military campaign against Tehran.
In a statement issued by the White House, officials said the report misrepresented US military planning linked to Operation Epic Fury, the campaign targeting Iran’s military capabilities.
“Fake News CNN is at it again,” the statement said, accusing the network of pushing “Democrat-sourced fiction to undermine our decisive victories in Operation Epic Fury.”
According to the White House, CNN had alleged that the Pentagon and the National Security Council “did not plan” for Iran’s willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping corridors.
The White House rejected that claim and said the possibility had long been part of US military planning.
“As Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has made crystal clear, the military has planned for this exact contingency for decades,” the statement said.
The White House said Operation Epic Fury was designed specifically to neutralise Iran’s ability to threaten maritime routes.
“Operation Epic Fury is deliberately designed to annihilate Iran’s navy, missiles, drones, and launch capabilities precisely to eliminate any meaningful threat to global shipping lanes like the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement said.
The statement also cited comments from lawmakers who attended classified briefings and disputed the reporting.
“As Chairman of the Intelligence Committee, let me make clear: whoever leaked this lied. CNN should do some fact-checking. The US has planned for Iran to try to close the strait for decades,” said Sen. Tom Cotton.
Another senator who attended the briefing, Tim Sheehy, also rejected the claim.
“I received a classified briefing from the administration. It is categorically false that they did not plan for Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz. Lawmakers and national security officials have known for years that this was Iran’s plan once their backs were against the wall,” Sheehy said.
The White House said Operation Epic Fury continues to pursue its stated objectives against Iran’s military capabilities.
“Under President Trump’s bold and resolute leadership, Operation Epic Fury continues to advance its clear objectives: destroying Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and production capacity, obliterating its navy, severing its support for its terrorist proxies, and ensuring the regime can never threaten the free world with nuclear weapons,” the statement said.
(IANS)
