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Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is urging President Donald Trump to continue military pressure on Iran following the launch of Operation Epic Fury, which resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Rice, who served as secretary of state under George W. Bush, said in an interview that Iran has posed a threat to the United States for decades and that the latest military campaign represents a long-delayed effort to neutralize that threat.
“Iran has been at war with us for at least 47 years,” Rice said, pointing to the regime’s role in supplying weapons used against American forces during the Iraq War.
She argued that a central objective of the current campaign should be to significantly degrade Iran’s military capabilities.
“If you can render Iran essentially incapable of military action against us and against our allies, that’s worthy,” Rice said during the interview. “What they’re trying to do is to neuter Iran as a military power in the region.”
Rice also highlighted Iran’s long-standing support for militant groups across the Middle East, including Hezbollah and Hamas, which she said have extended Tehran’s influence beyond its borders.
She cited past attacks tied to Iran, including the Iran Hostage Crisis and the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing that killed 241 American service members.
Rice said the current military campaign followed the collapse of negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program. The Trump administration had demanded that Iran abandon uranium enrichment, but talks broke down before the United States and Israel launched strikes.
Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, Iran has carried out retaliatory attacks on U.S. and Israeli targets across the region, killing six American service members.
Despite the escalation, Rice said weakening Iran’s military infrastructure could ultimately improve stability in the Middle East. She argued that reducing the regime’s power would be beneficial for the region and could help prevent future terrorism and nuclear escalation.