WASHINGTON
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that “Iran cannot outlast us” as the US signaled a widening military campaign following coordinated strikes with Israel since Saturday.
"I stand before you today with one unmistakable message about Operation Epic Fury. America is winning decisively, devastatingly and without mercy, under the direct command of President (Donald) Trump," Hegseth said at a news conference alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine.
"They are toast, and they know it ... and we have only just begun to hunt, dismantle, demoralize, destroy, and defeat their capabilities -- just four days in," he said.
His remarks came amid the ongoing US-Israel strikes against Iran, which began on Feb. 28, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other top security officials.
"More and larger waves are coming. We are just getting started. We are accelerating, not decelerating," Hegseth said.
He said the operation's mission is "laser-focused" -- obliterate Iran's missiles and drones and facilities that produce them, annihilate its navy and critical security infrastructure and sever their pathway to nuclear weapons. "Iran will never possess a nuclear bomb."
More bombers and fighters are arriving Wednesday, Hegseth said.
Dismissing reports that stocks of munitions were running low, he said: "And now with complete control of the sky, 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."
The US “will take all the time we need to make sure that we succeed," he noted.
US kills Iranian official behind alleged assassination plot against Trump
Hegseth said the leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate Trump was killed on Tuesday.
"Iran tried to kill President Trump, and President Trump got the last laugh."
He did not give further details about the alleged assassination attempt.
"While that was not the focus of the effort by any stretch of the imagination - in fact, never raised by the President or anybody else - I ensured, and others ensured, that those who were responsible for that were eventually part of the target list," he said.
'I’m not going to comment on US boots on the ground'
In the Indian Ocean, Hegseth said, an American submarine sunk an Iranian warship "that thought it was safe in international waters."
"Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo—Quiet Death. The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War 2. Like in that war—back when we were still the War Department—we are fighting to win."
Caine, for his part, said the US has hit more than 2,000 targets and destroyed over 20 Iranian naval vessels.
“We’ve destroyed more than 20 Iranian naval vessels, in addition to the frigate outside the area, one submarine and effectively neutralized at this point in time Iran’s major naval presence in theater out there,” he said.
Later, the department shared footage through US social media company X, depicting a vessel engulfed in flames moments before an underwater blast shattered the ship’s keel near the stern.
"We will now begin to expand inland, striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory and creating additional freedom of maneuver for US forces," Caine added.
When asked about the possibility of deploying ground troops in Iran, Caine said: “I’m not going to comment on US boots on the ground. I think that’s a question for policymakers. And I don’t make policy, I execute policy."
Caine also confirmed that the US has sufficient precision munitions for the task at hand, both on the offense and defense."
On reports that the US would be open to support groups in Iran willing to take up arms against the Iranian regime, Hegseth said: "All I would say is none of our objectives are premised on the support of the arming of any particular force."
Asked about his message to Iran's allies Russia and China, Hegseth said he does not have a message for them.
"And they’re not really a factor here, and our issue is not with them,” Hegseth said, adding that the US focus was on ending what he called “the nuclear ambitions of Iran.”
'No sense' Türkiye incident would trigger NATO Article 5
Hegseth said an Iranian ballistic missile shot down en route to Turkish airspace was unlikely to activate NATO’s collective defense provision.
"On the matter with Türkiye, I'll have to get back to you on exactly what the intercept looked like. We're aware of that particular engagement. Although, no sense that it would trigger anything like Article 5," he said.
Earlier Wednesday, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said a ballistic munition fired from Iran toward Turkish airspace after passing Syria and Iraq was intercepted and neutralized by NATO air and missile defense units in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conveyed Ankara's concern to his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi over the incident, saying any step that could lead to the escalation of the conflict should be avoided.
NATO condemned Iran's targeting of Türkiye and reaffirmed its unwavering support for all alliance members.
"We condemn Iran’s targeting of Türkiye. NATO stands firmly with all Allies, including Türkiye, as Iran continues its indiscriminate attacks across the region. Our deterrence and defense posture remains strong across all domains, including when it comes to air and missile defense," a spokesperson said.
