The White House has released photographs showing President Donald Trump and senior officials overseeing US-Israeli air strikes on Iran from a secure facility at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, rather than the White House Situation Room. The images offer a glimpse into the operations room used to direct the military action, which began in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The photos show Trump wearing a white “USA” cap, standing before a large map displaying key military positions in the region, including two aircraft carrier strike groups and bases hosting US troops. Red diamonds are marked across Iran, indicating a wide scope of targets — a contrast to the more focused strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June last year.
The facility at Mar-a-Lago is a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), first established in 2017 and re-established ahead of Trump’s return to the presidency. Access is tightly controlled, with strict rules on electronics. The same space was reportedly used to oversee the capture of Venezuela’s President Maduro in January.
Among those pictured is CIA Director John Ratcliffe, seen out of focus in the foreground speaking to the president. Reports suggest the CIA had tracked Ayatollah Khamenei for months and pinpointed his location before the strikes that ultimately killed him. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has also served as acting National Security Advisor for nine months, briefed the eight most senior congressional leaders on “Operation Epic Fury” ahead of the strikes.
The only woman in the photograph is Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, a quietly influential figure with no formal national security role but who is in daily contact with the president. Her deputy, Dan Scavino, stands behind her. The image provides a rare look at the inner workings of Trump’s crisis management from his private club.
