Operation Epic Fury has entered its fifth day, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth briefing the public on stepped-up strikes, significant Iranian losses, and a relentless campaign to degrade Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addressed the nation to lay out the mission and the pace of Operation Epic Fury. He repeated the operation’s goals plainly: destroy Iranian offensive missiles, destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure, and ensure Iran will never have nuclear weapons. The language was blunt and unapologetic, matching the escalation on the ground and in the air.

Israeli forces reportedly struck a meeting of Iran’s “Assembly of Experts,” flattening the building where senior leadership gathered to discuss succession. At the same time, U.S.-aligned reports indicate CIA-backed Kurdish militias are poised to begin a ground campaign inside Iran to provoke uprisings against the regime. Those moves together aim to squeeze Iran politically and militarily from multiple directions.

The Department of War has publicly identified four of the six service members killed in the early days of the campaign: Captain Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sergeant 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sergeant 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Sergeant Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa. The Department of War said all four were killed on March 1 in an “unmanned aircraft system attack.” The other two names have not been released yet as families are notified.

Hegseth pointed to immediate operational effects and quoted CENTCOM feedback on Iran’s condition. Last night, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper also said that Operation Epic Fury has made Iran “noticably weaker.” The pressure is visible in Iran’s communication outages and shrinking operational reach.

U.S. airpower has reportedly flown deep, demonstrating degraded Iranian defenses. This includes B-2 and B-1 bombers executing uncontested strikes deep inside Iran, showing the nation’s air-defense systems are greatly weakened, and that 17 of Iran’s navy ships have been sunk. That level of reach matters because it denies Iran the ability to mass and project force at sea or in the skies.

Opening his remarks with a line meant to set the tone, Hegseth declared, “America is winning. Decisively, devastatingly, and without mercy.” He framed the campaign as relentless and effective, signaling that the United States intends to press advantages until strategic objectives are met. The rhetoric matches a posture that rejects restraint in favor of decisive military advantage.

“We are only four days into this,” Hegseth said, “and the results have been incredible. Historic, really.” He emphasized combined U.S. and allied action as structural damage to Iran’s military and command networks. Hegseth described the coalition’s effect as “sheer destruction” for the Iranian regime and made clear he expects it to continue.

Hegseth promised full control of Iranian airspace and a nonstop targeting campaign. “Starting last night and to be completed in a few days, in under a week, the two most powerful airforces in the world will have complete control of Iranian skies,” Hegseth said. “Uncontested airspace.” His point was tactical clarity: dominance in the skies removes Iran’s ability to operate freely and protects coalition forces.

He doubled down on the tempo and on munitions choices. “It means we will fly all day, all night, day and night, finding, fixing, and finishing the missiles and defense industrial base of the Iranian military,” Hegseth explained. “Finding and fixing their leaders and military leaders.” He went on to say, “Iran will be able to do nothing about it,” Hegseth added. “Death and destruction from the sky all day long.”

“We’re playing for keeps,” Hegseth said. “Our rules of engagement are bold, precise, and designed to unleash American power. Not shackle it. This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they are down, which is exactly how it should be.” He warned larger waves of strikes are incoming and detailed the types of precision bombs set to be used next.

“More and larger waves are coming. We are just getting started. We are accelerating, not decelerating,” Hegseth continued. “We will be using 500-pound, 1,000-pound, and 2,000-pound GPS and laser-guided precision gravity bombs, of which we have a nearly unlimited stockpile.” That stockpile claim underlines an intent to sustain the campaign as long as needed to achieve the stated goals.

Hegseth stressed strategic outcomes and accountability for recent attacks on Americans. “The enemy can no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did, not even close,” Hegseth said. “We can sustain this fight easily, for as long as we need to. And as I said yesterday, we set the terms.” He also vowed retribution for the fallen: “We will avenge them,” Hegseth said of the six fallen soldiers.

“Iran’s senior leaders are dead. The so-called governing council that might have selected a successor, dead, missing or cowering in bunkers too terrified to even occupy the same room,” Hegseth said. He reported significant blows to Iran’s air force and navy, including the sinking of a key ship, and pointed to targeted action against figures linked to plots against U.S. leaders.

“Looks like POTUS got him twice,” Hegseth remarked. “Iran tried to kill President Trump, and President Trump got the last laugh.” He cautioned this is not a closed chapter: “This is not a ‘mission accomplished’ situation,” Hegseth continued. “This is simply a reality check.”

Calling out the press and past administrations, Hegseth argued the coalition has achieved control without ground occupation. “This is what the fake news misses: we’ve taken control of Iran’s airspace and waterways, without boots on the ground,” Hegseth said. “But when a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it’s front page news. I get it: the press only wants to make the President look bad. But try for once to report the reality. The terms of this war will be set by us at every step.”

“Iran will never possess a nuclear bomb. Not on our watch. Not ever,” Hegseth said. He also reiterated force protection and interception claims: “We have from the start put the protection of our troops ahead of everything else,” Hegseth said. “Thousands of Iranian missiles and drones have been intercepted and vaporized.”

Echoing the administration’s diplomatic posture, Hegseth invoked recent exchanges with allies. “As President Trump told German chancellor Merz yesterday, Iran negotiated in bad faith,” Hegseth said. “Stalling, scheming, and preparing to strike. And we acted decisively to defend our people, our interests, and our allies. President Trump took bold action, putting America first. The kind of bold action the American people elected him to execute.”

“America fights to win, and in Operation Epic Fury, we are,” Hegseth said in closing. The briefing left little doubt the campaign will stick to an aggressive timetable until its leaders declare objectives met and Iran’s capacity is irreversibly reduced.