President Donald Trump oversaw US and Israeli air strikes on Iran from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida over the weekend, rather than the White House Situation Room. The White House released photographs showing Trump and senior officials monitoring the operation from a secure facility at the luxury club.
The room, equipped as a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF), has been used by Trump for previous military actions, including the capture of Venezuela’s President Maduro in January. The images reveal a large map displaying key military positions in the region, including two aircraft carrier strike groups and bases hosting US troops, with red diamonds indicating a wide scope of targets inside Iran.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe appears in the foreground of one photograph, speaking to the president. Reports suggest the CIA had tracked Ayatollah Khamenei for months and pinpointed his location ahead of the strikes that ultimately killed him. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as acting National Security Advisor, briefed congressional leaders on the operation, codenamed ‘Epic Fury’.
The only woman in the photograph is Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, a quietly influential figure who has no formal national security role but is a key member of Trump’s inner circle. Her deputy, Dan Scavino, is also visible. The Mar-a-Lago SCIF was first established in 2017 and re-established before Trump’s return to the presidency.
