Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Operation Epic Fury is “only just the beginning,” adding the U.S. will go as far as needed to achieve its objectives.
- He warned of further American deaths after seven U.S. service members were confirmed killed, including six in a March 1 drone attack in Kuwait and one who died from injuries in Saudi Arabia.
- Hegseth asserted a decisive battlefield edge, claiming Iranian air defenses are degraded and the Iranian navy is “largely no more,” while U.S. and Israeli air power holds near-total superiority.
- His remark that “the only ones that need to be worried right now are Iranians that think they’re going to live” drew condemnation from commentators, veterans, and media watchers.
- The administration’s hardline messaging—paired with White House social videos mixing combat footage with game and movie clips—faces domestic skepticism, with a Reuters-cited poll showing 27% approval and ongoing debate over aims such as demanding “unconditional surrender.”