War Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined three goals for Operation Epic Fury during a press briefing at the Pentagon that sought to rally support for the controversial military action against Iran.
As the conflict entered its 10th day, Hegseth listed destroying Iran’s navy, permanently preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and eliminating Iran’s missile stockpiles, launchers, and defense industrial base as top priorities.
“For 47 years, these barbaric savages in the Iranian regime have murdered our brothers in arms, my guys, your guys, our guys, through their terrorist proxies and cowardly attacks, now they race toward a nuclear bomb to hold the world hostage,” Hegseth said on March 10.
He also vowed that the day would see one of the most intense strikes since President Donald Trump pre-emptively blitzed Iran on Feb. 28, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the Israeli Defense Forces.
U.S.-Israeli strikes have so far sunk some 50 Iranian ships, leveled drone factories, and neutralized 80 percent of Iran's missile launchers.
“The most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes,” Hegseth said about plans for March 10. “Intelligence more refined and better than ever.”
While Hegseth said the last 24 hours have seen Iran fire the lowest amount of missiles since the start, Bahrain authorities said a 29-year-old woman was killed and eight people were hurt when Iran struck a residential building in Manama, the capital.
An Iranian drone also hit Ruwais in the United Arab Emirates, where there are petrochemical plants, Saudi Arabia reported destroying two drones, and six drones were shot down by Kuwait’s National Guard.
“We're winning decisively with brutal efficiency, total air dominance and an unbreakable will to accomplish the President's objectives,” Hegseth insisted. “On our timeline, we stay locked on the target, because here at the Department of War, that's our job.”
After Hegseth closed his speech invoking Psalm 144 and asking God to protect the troops, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine honored the American soldiers who were killed in the operation and provided an operational update that highlighted young "yellow shirt" sailors.
“This beautiful symphony of American spirit is the definition of perfectly organized chaos, and these crews do it every single time the carrier is at work,” Caine said. “Oh, by the way, in the middle of the night and oftentimes in the pouring rain. These are dedicated young people who take the road less traveled to serve their great nation, doing the deeds that we need them to do.”
The seven soldiers who have been killed so far were identified as Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa; Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Waukee, Iowa; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California; and Sgt. Benjamin Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky.