WATCH: Leavitt: U.S. launched Epic Fury because Iran rejected ‘path of peace’

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(The Center Square) – The U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury after exhausting diplomatic efforts to get Iran to stop developing its nuclear program – and not for political reasons or because America is seeking regime change, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday.

Two of President Donald Trump’s “top and most trusted negotiators” worked tirelessly toward a nuclear deal with Iran but Iran was unwilling to compromise, Leavitt said.

“The terrorist Iranian regime refused to negotiate in good faith,” Leavitt told reporters. “They lied, they delayed, they tried to string the United States of America along. They wanted to buy themselves time to continue building ballistic missiles and other deadly weaponry that could harm our U.S. personnel and troops in the region, and to continue aggressively pursuing their unacceptable nuclear ambitions.”

She listed some incentives negotiators offered to draw Iranian officials away from nuclear arms pursuits – including lifting sanctions, giving the country nuclear fuel for a civil nuclear power program, and American investment and partnership in developing nuclear energy – to no avail.

“In response, Iran would have to forfeit their enrichment capacity once and for all,” Leavitt said. “Iran rejected the path of peace because the terrorists in charge of this regime wanted to build nuclear weapons to use against Americans and our allies.”

While Leavitt said the administration would be happy to see new political leadership in Iran, she would not say that regime change was one of the operation’s goals. Rather, she repeated a short list of objectives, versions of which have been circulated many times since Saturday: To destroy Iran’s defense industrial base, “sever their pathway” to nuclear weapons, and to render its terrorist proxies throughout the region ineffective.

Leavitt was asked both about Trump’s vision for U.S. involvement in Iran “post-conflict,” as well as whether the U.S. plans to send ground troops in before the conflict ends. 

“The president is actively considering and discussing with his advisors and his national security team” America’s role after the conflict, Leavitt responded. As for boots on the ground, Leavitt didn’t eliminate it as a possibility.

“They’re not part of the plan for this operation at this time, but I certainly will never take away military options on behalf of the president of the United States or the commander in chief, and he wisely does not do the same for himself,” Leavitt said.