Donald Trump has placed several of his closest advisers at the centre of his justification for launching military strikes against Iran, repeatedly naming Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff as key figures in his decision-making and sharpening debate over who should be held responsible for the escalation.
The remarks come as the White House continues to defend Operation Epic Fury, the US–Israeli campaign launched in late February targeting Iranian missile infrastructure and military facilities.
