Washington - The White House said on Friday that the United States is advancing toward control of Iranian airspace, with officials projecting that attainable U.S. objectives could be met within a four- to six-week window.
Speaking at the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt outlined the administration’s expectations for the near term and addressed questions about leadership in Iran following recent developments in the conflict. Leavitt said that Washington is evaluating possible candidates to lead Iran, though she declined to provide further detail.
"I know there’s a number of people that our intelligence agencies and the United States government are looking at, but I won’t get any further on that," Leavitt told reporters.
The comments came a day after President Donald Trump said in an interview that the United States must be involved in selecting Iran’s next leader, and indicated skepticism that the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s son - a figure who has emerged publicly as a potential successor - will be the eventual replacement.
Earlier on Friday, the president reiterated a hardline negotiating stance, saying there would be no deal with Iran except "unconditional surrender." Leavitt expanded on that remark, explaining how the administration interprets the term in practical, military and strategic terms.
"What the President means is that when he, as Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces, determines that Iran no longer poses a threat to the United States of America, and the goals of Operation Epic Fury has been fully realized, then Iran will essentially be in a place of unconditional surrender, whether they say it themselves or not," she said.
Leavitt’s remarks tied the administration’s diplomatic posture to military objectives and an internal timeline for achieving specific goals. She also emphasized that while the government is considering leadership options in Iran, she would not elaborate on names or assessments from intelligence agencies.
Details on the precise milestones that would constitute control of Iranian airspace, and what specific conditions would signal that the goals of Operation Epic Fury have been "fully realized," were not enumerated in the briefing.
Summary
The White House reported progress toward controlling Iranian airspace, forecasting that achievable objectives could be completed in four to six weeks. Officials are reviewing potential successors in Iran, and the president has framed any settlement as requiring "unconditional surrender," a condition the administration describes in terms of eliminated threats and completed military objectives.