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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cautioned Thursday that Iran’s misjudgment of U.S. resilience could prove costly if it believes the United States can’t sustain ongoing hostilities. He emphasized that Washington possesses both the strength and determination to prolong military operations as long as required. Earlier this week, the Pentagon detailed that Operation Epic Fury aims to eliminate Iran’s offensive missile capabilities, missile production facilities, and naval forces, while preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“There’s no change in our goals. We know exactly what we’re working toward,” Hegseth stated. He also mentioned that former President Trump “has a significant influence on Iran’s leadership now, especially given the current military operations.” In a Thursday phone interview with Reuters, Trump indicated that the U.S. may help choose Iran’s next leader.
Since Saturday, the U.S. and Israel have launched a coordinated attack targeting numerous Iranian military assets across Iran. These strikes have prompted Iran to retaliate regionally, attacking countries like Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Bahrain’s firefighting teams extinguished a blaze at a refinery after a missile attack, and Azerbaijan accused Iran of deploying drones over its territory, leading to a 12-hour closure of its southern airspace.
Hegseth asserted that Iran’s regional assaults only serve to strengthen the unity among U.S. and allied forces. “Their actions are actually consolidating the resistance and focusing our efforts where they need to be,” he said.
In terms of military achievements, the U.S. has targeted over 2,000 sites in Iran, including Iranian warships. Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, announced that 30 Iranian warships, including a drone carrier, had been destroyed earlier Thursday. He added that the U.S. is now focusing on dismantling Iran’s missile manufacturing capabilities and countries are working to prevent Iran’s reconstruction efforts, which will take some time.
The military also identified the six U.S. Army Reserve soldiers killed when a drone crashed into a military facility in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. Leaders like Trump have warned that the conflict with Iran could result in additional U.S. casualties.
Hegseth reiterated that Iran’s miscalculation in thinking the U.S. cannot sustain the fight is dangerous. “Iran believes we can’t keep this up, but that’s a grave mistake,” he said. “We set the timetable.”
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