US President Donald Trump monitored the strikes on Iran from his Mar-a-Lago resort while Vice President JD Vance observed the attack over a thousand kilometres away in the White House.
White House Press Secretery Karoline Leavitt wrote on X on Saturday, Mr Trump and his national security team motioned the US-Israeli attack on Iran overnight from his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and confirmed he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone.
“Prior to the attacks, Secretary Rubio called all members of the gang of eight to provide congressional notification, and he was able to reach and brief seven of the eight members,” she wrote.
Photos released by the White House show the President wearing a white ‘USA’ cap white sitting around a table with Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in what appears to be a makeshift situation room, cornered off by black curtains hung over wooden beams.
Behind Mr Trump, a large map of the Middle East reading “OPERATION EPIC FURY” is on display.
The exact location of Mr Trump was not identified in the post.
Meanwhile, 1,4000km away in Washington, Mr Vance was dialled in from the White House’s Situation Room surrounded by cabinet secretaries.
A photo shared by the White House shows the Vice President sitting at the head of the table flanked by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The decision for Mr Trump to monitor the critical operation from his resort and not with his entire team in Washington was met with confusion on social media
“Trump is too busy truthing to go to the situation room?” one person wrote.
“Nothing says Situation Room like some cheap pipe & drape 10 feet from the omelette station,” another person wrote.
“In Mar a Lago? Seriously?’ another questioned.
“Cool kids table,” another commented on the photo of Mr Trump and Mr Rubio.
Mr Trump left Mar-aLago and returned to the White House on Sunday night where he did not take questions from reporters.
The White House has confirmed Mr Rubio and other top officials will make the case to Congress for the attack on Iran, which killed its supreme leader, on Tuesday, US time.
Mr Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and military chief General Dan Caine “will brief the full membership of both chambers of Congress on Tuesday”, White House spokesperson Dylan Johnson said.
Mr Rubio and Mr Hegseth have also not appeared publicly since the strikes.
Democrats and some Republicans have questioned the Trump administration’s rationale for the operation, with Democrat representative Ro Khanna telling NBC’s Meet the Press that Americans “are not safer today” following the strikes.
“They were picking the new leader before we killed the Ayatollah,” Mr Khanna said.
“The Ayatollah was 86. The question is, is the country going to descend into civil war, are billion of our dollars going to be spent there, and are American troops going to be at risk?”
