The White House told Republican lawmakers Monday that “America will win” and “the terrorist Iranian regime will be defeated” as it seeks to address criticism of the shifting war aims being put forward by President Donald Trump and his deputies following Saturday’s initial strikes.
A memo from the administration’s legislative affairs office sent to Hill Republicans on Monday afternoon laid out four military objectives, including “annihilating” Iran’s navy and assuring it can never produce a nuclear weapon. The elimination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the memo said, was a “byproduct” of those aims.
But while a set of talking points shied away from saying the operation is aimed at regime change, it predicted nonetheless that would be the outcome of the operation, which it did not describe — as Trump has — as a “war.”
“President Trump should be commended for killing terrorists and finally having the courage to do what American presidents for nearly 50 years have all contemplated but failed to execute,” the document said. “The rogue Iranian Regime, under the evil hand of the Ayatollah, has killed and maimed thousands of U.S. soldiers over the years. Their brutal attacks and threats will end under President Donald J. Trump. America will win – the terrorist Iranian regime will be defeated.”
Elsewhere it reads, “Though the regime has changed, this operation is about ending the threat posed to the United States by the Iranian Regime.”
The White House messaging guidance comes as Trump supporters outside of government have started to voice misgivings about the president’s decision to strike Iran. House Republicans have been quieter so far, but some are wary of a prolonged war — especially ahead of the November midterm elections.
Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) posted on X after the strikes that “America First is supposed to be a policy mindset, not another empty slogan with hollow promises” and that Congress needed to have a role in authorizing the conflict.
The memo seeks to play down any concerns about an open-ended commitment to the Iran operation without specifying exactly how long it might last.
“A long and drawn-out war is not the President’s intention,” the White House memo says. “The President has estimated this operation will last approximately 4-5 weeks.”
