Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine briefed reporters at the Pentagon about Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-led and Israel-enabled military campaign against Iran that President Trump approved and ordered into effect. They described the operation as a major, joint air and maritime campaign focused on degrading Iran’s ability to project power, destroy offensive missile and drone capabilities, and target missile production, naval forces and related security infrastructure.
What the Pentagon said
– Operation Epic Fury began in the early hours of Feb. 28 under U.S. Central Command leadership. The operation was planned and rehearsed for months and built on prior strikes and targeting work.
– The mission set is explicitly military and aimed at reducing Iran’s long-range strike capability, stopping its ability to shield nuclear ambitions with a conventional “umbrella,” and protecting U.S. forces and regional partners.
– The campaign has integrated kinetic strikes from air and sea with non-kinetic effects from U.S. Cyber Command and U.S. Space Command to degrade Iran’s command, control, communications and sensors.
– In the opening phase, coalition forces struck hundreds to thousands of preplanned targets across Iran, focusing on command-and-control, ballistic missile sites, naval assets, underground facilities and other military infrastructure. U.S. B-2 bombers and other long-range platforms took part in strikes that required extended, long-duration sorties.
– The U.S. and partner defenses in theater—Patriot and THAAD batteries, Aegis-capable destroyers and an integrated air-and-missile-defense network—have intercepted hundreds of ballistic missiles and countered persistent one-way attack UAVs, the Pentagon said.
– The United States has repositioned forces across the region in recent weeks (fighters, tankers, carrier strike groups, logistics, ISR) to set the theater and give commanders options. Additional forces continue to flow to the commander in the region.
Casualties, risks and duration
– The Pentagon acknowledged U.S. casualties and said they have lost service members in the campaign and expect to take additional losses; leaders vowed to care for families and continue the mission.
– Officials repeatedly declined to give a precise timeline. President Trump was reported to have discussed a weeks-long time frame in public comments; Defense leaders said operations will continue until military objectives are met and emphasized the president sets tempo and conditions.
– Secretary Hegseth and General Caine framed Epic Fury as a focused, finite campaign—distinct from past nation-building missions—and stressed it is not intended as a prolonged occupation, though they cautioned it will take time and will include difficult, gritty work in some target sets.
Coalition, partners and the region
– The Pentagon described close coordination with Israel and regional partners. Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, leads the joint force in the area of responsibility.
– Forces from multiple U.S. combatant commands—CENTCOM, EUCOM, SPACECOM, CYBERCOM, STRATCOM and TRANSCOM—have roles in the campaign.
– Air defenses of regional partners (Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia) have contributed to the integrated defense.
– Officials credited the professionalism and integration of U.S. forces—air, land, sea, space, cyber and special operations—and reserve and National Guard units mobilized to support the effort.
Targets and effects
– The campaign has struck Iranian missile sites, naval forces and facilities tied to missile production and intelligence networks. U.S. forces focused strike packages and standoff weapons on layered target sets while Cyber and Space effects degraded Iran’s ability to see and coordinate.
– U.S. operations included long-distance strike sorties and a high volume of missions in the opening days. The goal, as described by Pentagon leaders, is to “attrit” Iranian long-range strike capability and deny Iran the ability to threaten U.S. forces, allies and shipping lanes.
Policy and messaging
– Pentagon leaders emphasized they have given commanders the defensive and offensive tools necessary to protect forces and to prosecute the campaign. They declined to spell out all operational details for security reasons.
– Officials urged that the campaign’s purpose is limited to military objectives—dismantling attack and production capabilities—not formal regime change—while noting the effect of the strikes on Iranian leadership and regional security.
– Leaders also addressed domestic security concerns, saying U.S. interagency partners are monitoring potential threats and that authorities are responding to any incidents on U.S. soil.
Questions from reporters
– Reporters pressed on timeline, force levels and whether U.S. ground forces are operating inside Iran; leaders declined to detail force numbers or future options, saying the president will set tempo. They said there were no announced U.S. ground combat operations inside Iran and that planning accounts for many contingencies.
– The Pentagon said it is conducting deliberate battle-damage assessment and that targeting and further strikes will be adjusted as assessments are received.
Bottom line
The Pentagon presents Operation Epic Fury as a high-tempo, joint air-and-maritime campaign designed to degrade Iran’s offensive military and nuclear-related capabilities while protecting U.S. forces and regional partners. Officials said the operation is ongoing, that it will include risk and casualties, and that they will continue to adapt the campaign to achieve the stated military objectives.