Leavitt says US blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect, Trump has ‘all options on the table’
Outgoing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the U.S. military blockade in the Arabian Sea will continue during her final interview on the job Thursday with Fox & Friends.
“As commander in chief, he, of course, continues to retain all options on the table,” she said, referring to President Donald Trump, “and the naval blockade continues to be in effect as well, which has proven hugely successful.
“The United States is essentially controlling the Strait of Hormuz, which remains open thanks to President Trump and the United States military,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt also shed some light on her thinking about Operation Economic Outcast, a U.S. plan to choke off Iran’s financial resources through sanctions and seizures of illegal oil exports which Treasury Scott Bessent announced on Monday.
“Right now we’re focused on Operation Economic Outcast, which Secretary Bessent announced this week, crippling sanctions on the Iranian regime and their economy, which we already know is in freefall,” she said.
“They are in a devastating place. Inflation is over 100%. They can’t pay their police. They can’t pay their military. They’re in a very weakened position already. And now Secretary Bessent and the president are continuing to pull every economic lever,” Leavitt continued.
“And of course, this follows Operation Epic Fury, which was hugely successful in diminishing the Iranian regime’s military completely, wiping out their navy, their air force, and really crippling their military infrastructure,” Leavitt said.
“What President Trump’s number one goal has been, and will always be, is to ensure that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon, period. And so we’ve had Operation Epic Fury to destroy their military. Now we have Operation Economic Outcast to destroy their economy. No negotiations are happening right now, and this will continue until the president feels that maybe they come to the table in a meaningful way. We have not seen that yet,” she said.
Trump announced Leavitt’s departure on Aug. 12, writing in a post on Truth Social that she would be leaving her post to spend more time with her family.
Though her last day in the administration will be on Aug. 31, Leavitt maintained that she will continue to serve as an informal advisor to the president.
“I look forward to spending more time with them, but continuing to serve the president as a top advisor on the outside. I’m grateful to him that he still wants me to stick around, just in a way that I can spend more time with family,” she told Fox & Friends
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