BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): Steve Bannon, opened the Monday morning WarRoom program and lauded President Trump’s recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities as a bold move but slammed the Pentagon for failing to control the narrative with a swift battle damage assessment.
"Every second we spend focused on this, we’re not focused on the main thing,” he warned, urging his audience to resist being "totally consumed” by the Iran conflict.
He questioned why the U.S., not Israel, led attacks on key Iranian sites, suspecting a hidden agenda of regime change. Bannon adamantly opposed U.S. participation in any deeper conflict, urging Israel to "finish what they started” without American involvement, and warned that the Iran focus is a psyop to distract from domestic "America First” priorities like immigration.
Mainstream Media Context and Bannon’s Response:
Over the weekend of June 21-22, 2025, mainstream media outlets like CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, and The Financial Times flooded airwaves and print with coverage of U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at Natanz and Isfahan.
CNN and MSNBC showcased grainy satellite images, framing the attacks as a decisive blow to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. At the same time, The New York Times and Financial Times speculated about missing nuclear material, hinting at the need for ground operations.
Fox News, criticized by Bannon as a "propaganda department,” echoed neoconservative calls for escalation, with pundits like Mark Levin and General Jack Keane pushing for sustained pressure on Tehran.
Some reports even floated regime change, spotlighting Iranian exiles as potential leaders, reminiscent of past figures like Ahmed Chalabi.
Against this backdrop, Bannon launched a fiery rebuke of the media narrative and U.S. involvement. He called the strikes the "biggest and boldest” of Trump’s presidency and praised the operation’s "precision, logistics, bravery, valor, and boldness.”
However, he quickly pivoted to skepticism, questioning why the U.S. Navy fired 30 Tomahawks from the North Arabian Sea at Natanz, while Israel’s air supremacy was sidelined.
"Why was it not taken out by the Israeli Air Force?” he demanded, suggesting the operation might be "cosplay” masking a deeper goal: regime change in Iran.
Bannon’s core grievance was the risk of U.S. entanglement. "If you want regime change, go for it, baby,” he told Israel, but insisted, "just no participation by the United States.” He argued that the media’s focus on missing nuclear material and regime change narratives—pushed by outlets like The New York Times and Fox—was a deliberate psyop to divert attention from domestic issues like immigration, which he deems central to the "America First” agenda.
He also lambasted the Pentagon’s inaction, noting that CNN and MSNBC seized the narrative by airing images hours before the Department of Defense (DoD) responded. "We needed to see some grainy photographs,” Bannon said, criticizing DoD’s claim that a full battle damage assessment would take weeks. He argued that a preliminary report could have showcased Trump’s achievement, as the president "is so proud of this, as he should be.” Instead, the lack of initiative allowed media to speculate about escalatory steps, like deploying the 75th Ranger Battalion to search for nuclear material.
Bannon’s distrust extended to Israeli intelligence, questioning why bunker-busting bombs were needed for sites like Fordow and why the U.S. took the lead. "Was the entire thing for the nukes just cosplay?” he asked, implying the strikes might serve Israeli or neoconservative aims rather than U.S. interests. He mockingly referenced General Keane’s hawkish rhetoric, likening him to the unhinged general in Dr. Strangelove, and dismissed regime change advocates as "Chalabi 2.0” opportunists.
Conclusion: Bannon’s commentary is a clarion call to keep the U.S. out of Iran’s quagmire. While acknowledging the strikes’ tactical success, he sees a trap in the media’s escalation narrative and suspects regime change motives. His message is clear: Israel can pursue its goals, but American blood and treasure must stay out. By refocusing on domestic priorities, Bannon aims to keep Trump’s base grounded in "America First” principles, undistracted by foreign entanglements.
For more context, watch this entire WarRoom segment from Monday:
