Senior US defense officials said the military campaign against Iran will take time, signaling a prolonged conflict under President Donald Trump. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine told reporters that Operation Epic Fury is not an overnight mission and has no fixed timetable.
Caine said the objectives will require sustained effort and warned of additional US casualties after four service members were killed.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine says it would "take some time to achieve" the objectives of the U.S. military operation in Iran, and warned it was likely that more American lives would be lost. https://t.co/AwKgVjgmxH pic.twitter.com/HfpS04H0RE
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 2, 2026
Hegseth said the operation is not aimed at regime change but acknowledged Iran’s leadership has been altered following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei by Israel.
US goals include destroying Iran’s ballistic missiles, degrading its navy, and preventing Tehran from ever obtaining nuclear weapons.
Caine revealed Trump approved the operation Friday afternoon, followed by coordinated cyber, air, and naval strikes on more than 1,000 targets.
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