Overview
- President Trump monitored the opening phase of Operation Epic Fury from a curtained secure area inside his Mar-a-Lago club during a charity gala, alongside senior national security officials.
- The White House released two prerecorded videos as its primary public updates, announcing the operation and saying Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed while acknowledging three U.S. service-member deaths.
- Photos distributed by the White House showed an operations map that reporters said revealed positions of some U.S. forces and assets.
- Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was pictured wearing a smartwatch in the room, prompting concerns that the device maker countered by noting it lacks a microphone, GPS, and cellular capability.
- Vice President J.D. Vance chaired a Cabinet meeting in the White House Situation Room as the operation unfolded, and the Secret Service said it increased security around Mar-a-Lago.