Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed U.S. Operation Epic Fury amid increased concern that the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes in Iran could result in a regional conflict, ensuring that the campaign is “laser focused.”
"Destroy Iranian missiles, destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure, and they will never have nuclear weapons," Secretary Hegseth remarked, alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, during the Trump administration’s first press briefing since the launch of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28.
"This is not Iraq," Secretary Hegseth expressed. "This is not endless. 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. This operation is a clear, devastating, decisive mission: Destroy the missile threat, destroy the navy, no nukes."
Secretary Hegseth confirmed that there are no U.S. military “boots on the ground” in the region, but also shared that he would not "go into the exercise of what we will or will not do" in the future.
“No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise, no politically correct wars. We fight to win, and we don’t waste time or lives,” Hegseth added.
Concurrently, the Pentagon announced on Mar. 2 that a fourth American service member had been killed during the operation, which comes after three U.S. service members were confirmed dead in Kuwait over the weekend.
On Mar. 1, U.S. Central Command announced a “friendly fire incident” in which Kuwaiti defenses mistakenly shot down three U.S. F-15s. Fortunately, all crew members involved ejected safely.
During the address, Secretary Hegseth accused Tehran of having started the conflict, stating that Iran's "stubborn and self-evident nuclear pursuit" and its "targeting global shipping lines” led to the airstrikes.
"Iran had a conventional gun to our head as they tried to lie their way to a nuclear bomb," Secretary Hegseth said.
