Secretary of War Pete Hegseth lauded the US service members carrying out the Operation Epic Fury attacks on Iran, revealing that he is constantly praying for them as the country’s top general expected additional casualties.
Shortly after the tragic news broke that a fourth American service member died from an Iranian attack, Hegseth assured American service members that he has “your back” during a 40-minute press conference on the operation.
“This is your moment. This is the generational turning point America has waited for since 1979,” Hegseth proclaimed. “Don’t listen to the noise. Just stay focused. Our commander and chief is steady at the wheel.”
“We face a determined enemy, but you are better.”
Hegseth, who argued that the US didn’t start the war, but is “finishing it,” accused Iran of attacking the US for decades and encouraged its people to rise up.
“We hope the Iranian people take advantage of this incredible opportunity,” Hegseth said. “President Trump has been clear: now is your time.”
“Choose wisely.”
Gen. Dan “Raizin” Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who joined Hegseth in the briefing, solemnly revealed that the military is expecting to “take additional losses,” while stressing that “this is not a single overnight operation.”
Operation Epic Fury kicked off around 1:15 a.m. ET Saturday (9:45 a.m. Tehran time) after the US joint forces had assembled assets in the region over the past 30 days, according to Caine.
Over 1,000 targets were hit within the first 24 hours of the operation, including radios, command and control infrastructure, naval forces, ballistic missile sites, and intelligence infrastructure, with a goal to “daze and confuse” Iran, the top general revealed.
“More than 100 aircraft [were] launched from land, sea, fighters, tankers, airborne early warning, electronic attack bombers from the States, and unmanned platforms, forming a single synchronized wave,” Caine said.
“This was a daylight strike based on their trigger event conducted by the Israel Defense Forces and naval intelligence community.”
The wave of attacks included Tomahawk missiles launched at sea by the US Navy, which were largely aimed at the “southern flank in Iran on the ground.”
“This was a massive, overwhelming attack across all domains of warfare,” Caine said.
Caine noted that the US is “just about where we want to be in terms of total combat capacity and total combat power” around Iran.
Hegseth stressed that a key military priority for the US at this stage is degrading Iran’s long-range strike capabilities.
The Secretary of War contended that Iran had “every chance” to cut a deal with the Trump administration, but opted to stall instead. He also underscored that Operation Epic Fury will not devolve into another “endless war” that the US gets sucked into.
“To the media outlets and political left screaming ‘endless wars’: Stop. This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” Hegseth said. “I was there for both. Our generation knows better, and so does this president. He called the last 20 years of nation-building wars dumb, and he’s right. This is the opposite.”
Hegseth emphasized that the latest US mission in the Gulf is “a clear, devastating, decisive mission” aimed at neutralizing specific threats.
“Destroy the missile threat, destroy the navy, no nukes.”
