White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly rebuked CNN this week after the network published a report claiming that President Donald Trump underestimated the risk of Iran attempting to close the Strait of Hormuz, calling the story “100% Fake News.”
Leavitt issued the response on social media after CNN published a report suggesting U.S. officials had not fully anticipated Iran’s potential move to disrupt the strategic waterway following the launch of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military operation targeting Iranian military infrastructure.
“This story is 100% FAKE NEWS,” Leavitt wrote. “CNN decided to run this garbage based on three anonymous ‘sources familiar with discussions.’”
The CNN article, citing unnamed officials, suggested the Trump administration may have underestimated Iran’s willingness to threaten the Strait of Hormuz — a critical shipping corridor through which a significant share of the world’s oil supply passes. Karoline Leavitt said multiple senior officials and lawmakers who attended a recent classified briefing have directly contradicted the report.
This story is 100% FAKE NEWS.
CNN decided to run this garbage based on three anonymous “sources familiar with discussions.”
This is despite the fact that myself, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of State, and multiple lawmakers (who were actually present for the recent… pic.twitter.com/IchmwpDnO7
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 13, 2026
“This is despite the fact that myself, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of State, and multiple lawmakers (who were actually present for the recent classified briefing) have directly disputed this false reporting,” she wrote.
According to Leavitt, Pentagon planners have long considered the possibility that Iran could attempt to shut down the Strait of Hormuz and incorporated that scenario into military planning years before the recent escalation.
https://t.co/WlUyLs5Spe https://t.co/fw2QM9VOqJ
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 13, 2026
“The Pentagon has been planning for Iran’s desperate and reckless closure of the Strait of Hormuz for DECADES,” Leavitt stated. “And it has been part of the Trump Administration’s planning well before Operation Epic Fury was ever launched.”
She also pushed back against the suggestion that senior military leadership had not anticipated the possibility. “The idea that Chairman Cain and Secretary Hegseth weren’t prepared for this possibility is PREPOSTEROUS,” Leavitt wrote.
Karoline Leavitt added that President Donald Trump had been fully briefed on the risks surrounding the strategic waterway and that the goals of Operation Epic Fury directly address those threats.
“The President was fully briefed on it,” she said, noting that the mission aimed to “annihilate the terrorist Iranian regime’s navy, missiles, drone production infrastructure, and other threat capabilities.” According to Leavitt, weakening Iran’s military capabilities was specifically intended to prevent the regime from carrying out threats against international shipping.
“The operation itself… is quite literally intended to deprive them of their ability to close the Strait,” she wrote. Leavitt also emphasized the administration’s position that maintaining open shipping lanes in the region is a core U.S. priority. “President Trump will not allow rogue Iranian terrorists to stop the freedom of navigation and the free flow of energy,” Karoline Leavitt stated.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most strategically important waterways in the world, serving as a vital transit route for oil shipments from the Persian Gulf to global markets.
Karoline Leavitt said the United States’ broader mission in the region includes preventing Iranian forces from threatening international trade routes and civilian populations. “Wiping out these terrorists who indiscriminately target civilians and attempt to hold the global economy hostage is part of the ongoing noble U.S. mission,” she wrote.
She concluded her post by accusing major media outlets of attempting to undermine the administration’s actions during a critical national security moment.
“The Fake News is working overtime to discredit President Trump, his Administration, and our U.S. Military,” Leavitt wrote. “All of whom are working 24/7 to eliminate the threat of the Iranian regime.” “It’s a complete disgrace to witness this from the media, and we will keep fighting back against it,” she added.
