War Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed the nation on Monday to announce the commencement of Operation Epic Fury. Hegseth stated that while the United States did not initiate the conflict with Iran, “under President Trump, we are finishing it.”
“For 47 long years, the expansionist and Islamist regime in Tehran has waged a savage one-sided war against America,” said Hegseth. “They didn’t always declare it openly, except for their constant chants of ‘death to America,’ they did it through the blood of our people.”
“Car bombs in Beirut, rocket attacks on our ships, murders at our embassies, and roadside bombs in Iraq, in Afghanistan. Funded and armed by the Iranian forces and the IRGC killers. My generation of Veterans carries the names of brothers who never came home,” Hegseth continued. “Brothers butchered by Iranian-backed, roadside bombs, and well-armed militias, thousands of our own. We didn’t start this war. But under President Trump, we are finishing it. Their war on Americans has become our retribution against their Ayatollah and his death cult.”
The operation marks the beginning of a high-intensity military campaign designed to neutralize Tehran’s strategic capabilities before they can be used to leverage nuclear ambitions.
Hegseth characterized the Iranian regime’s recent buildup of ballistic missiles and drones as an attempt to “create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions.”
During the press conference following the initial strikes, the War Secretary rejected claims that the mission would evolve into another protracted engagement.
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“This operation is a clear, devastating, decisive mission,” Hegseth said. “Destroy the missile threat. Destroy the navy. No nukes. We fight to win, and we don’t waste time or lives.”
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine provided a detailed timeline of the opening salvos, noting that U.S. space and cyber operations effectively paralyzed Iran’s ability to coordinate a response as the attacks began.
The coordinated effort involved long-range aircraft launched from the United States, regional military bases, and the USS Gerald Ford and Abraham Lincoln carrier strike groups.
Hegseth emphasized that the transition to military action followed a total breakdown in diplomacy, asserting that Tehran had “every chance” to reach a nuclear deal but instead chose to stall and reload its missile stockpiles.
The conflict has already expanded beyond Iranian borders to include Iran-backed Hezbollah. Following a series of weekend attacks launched into Israel, joint U.S.-Israeli forces conducted “hundreds” of strikes against targets in both Iran and Lebanon.
The Israeli Air Force confirmed that a precision strike in Beirut on Monday night eliminated Hassan Maqlad, the head of Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters.
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“The IDF is now confirming that in a precise strike in Beirut tonight, the terrorist Hassan Maqlad… has been eliminated,” the IDF stated.
Reports from the Pentagon indicate that the opening phase of the operation has already resulted in the elimination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of top Iranian officials, including the leadership of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Hegseth concluded his remarks by issuing a direct ultimatum to remaining Iranian security forces to “choose wisely,” noting that President Trump has been clear regarding the “fate in either direction” for those who continue to resist.
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