War Secretary Pete Hegseth holds Operation Epic Fury briefing

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that Iran is “badly losing on day 10” of Operation Epic Fury as the United States prepares what he described as the most intense wave of strikes yet. “Iran stands alone and they are badly losing on day 10 of Operation Epic Fury,” Hegseth said during a Pentagon briefing. “Today will be, yet again, our most intense day of strikes inside Iran — the most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes.” Hegseth emphasized that the campaign remains narrowly focused and is not an open-ended conflict. “This is not 2003. This is not endless nation-building under those types of quagmires we saw under Bush or Obama,” he told reporters. “It’s not even close. Our generation of soldiers will not let that happen again.” Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined Hegseth in outlining progress in the operation, now entering its 11th day. Caine said Iran’s military has been “adapting,” but is not “more formidable” than U.S. officials anticipated. “I think they’re fighting, and I respect that, but I don’t think they’re more formidable than what we thought,” Caine said. According to Caine, U.S. forces have struck more than 5,000 targets since the campaign began. Iranian ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90%, drone attacks are down 83%, and more than 50 Iranian naval vessels have been hit. The briefing comes as President Donald Trump suggested operations may conclude sooner than expected, saying Monday that the campaign is moving ahead of schedule. “Two levels of leadership are gone — most people have never even heard of the leadership that they’re talking about — so it’s obviously been very powerful, very effective,” Trump said. At the same time, Hegseth told “60 Minutes” earlier this week that the current phase of the campaign marks “only the beginning,” underscoring that while the mission is limited in scope, military pressure will continue until objectives are met. The U.S. and Israel launched large-scale strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, an offensive that led to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. On Monday, Iranian state television announced that his 56-year-old son, Mojtaba Khamenei, would assume the role of supreme leader. Mojtaba Khamenei previously served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the latter years of the Iran-Iraq War. The Council on Foreign Relations has described the IRGC as one of the most powerful organizations in Iran, with significant influence over national security and the economy. Iranian officials have vowed defiance in response to the U.S.-led campaign. After Trump warned that Iran would be hit “TWENTY TIMES HARDER” if it disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, senior Iranian security official Ali Larijani fired back on X. “The sacrificial nation of Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats,” Larijani wrote. “Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself.” Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, also rejected calls for a ceasefire. “We are definitely not looking for a ceasefire; we believe that the aggressor should be punched in the mouth so that he learns a lesson,” Qalibaf wrote. “We will break this cycle.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s strikes would continue. “Our aim is to bring the Iranian people to cast off the yoke of tyranny — ultimately it depends on them,” Netanyahu said during a meeting with health system leaders. “There is no doubt that with the actions taken so far, we are breaking their bones.” Read full story here: https://wsbt.com/news/nation-world/defense-secretary-pete-hegseth-gen-dan-caine-joint-chiefs-of-staff-to-brief-media-on-operation-epic-fury-israel-united-states-iran-strikes-president-donald-trump-new-supreme-leader-nuclear-program _________________ Stay up to date by following our social media: WSBT 22 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WSBTNews WSBT 22 on X: https://twitter.com/WSBT WSBT 22 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wsbt/ For more information, visit https://wsbt.com/ Have a news tip? Send it directly to our newsroom: [email protected] WSBT is an IN based station and a CBS Television affiliate owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today. Sinclair owns and operates, programs or provides sales services to 163 television stations in 77 markets, after pending transactions. Sinclair's television group reaches approximately 38.7% of US television households and includes FOX, ABC, MyTV, CW, CBS, NBC, Univision and Azteca affiliates.