President Donald Trump and several of his top national security officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, have previously voiced opposition to US military action against Iran. These statements align with a theme that has defined Trump's political rise and a key part of his MAGA movement. Despite promising to avoid "endless wars" and costly foreign interventions, Trump's open-ended war with Iran is the largest military operation he has initiated and contradicts his past rhetoric against US intervention abroad. The White House defended the decision to launch Operation Epic Fury, stating that Iran poses a direct and imminent threat to the United States and our troops in the Middle East. Despite previous statements by Trump that he would start a war against Iran, there is no public indication that the Obama administration was planning a conflict with Iran during his presidency.