President Donald Trump has voiced strong dissatisfaction with Iran’s choice of Mojtaba Khamenei as its new Supreme Leader, following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a U.S.-Israeli airstrike at the outset of Operation Epic Fury. Trump stated that he does not believe Mojtaba “can live in peace,” signaling deep skepticism about the stability and intentions of the new leadership.
The joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign, launched on February 28, 2026, has exceeded expectations in its early results, according to the president. In a Truth Social post, Trump warned that any Iranian attempt to obstruct oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz would trigger strikes “twenty times harder.” He added that the U.S. could “easily destroy” key targets rendering Iran “virtually impossible” to rebuild as a functioning nation, though he expressed hope that such escalation would not be necessary.
Operation Epic Fury targeted over 5,000 locations in its first 10 days, including command and control centers, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters, intelligence sites, air defense systems, ballistic missile facilities, and naval assets. U.S. Central Command reported significant damage or destruction to more than 50 Iranian ships initially, with the campaign focusing on degrading Iran’s ability to project power.
On Thursday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth provided a detailed update on the operation’s progress, describing it as “highly successful” and a demonstration of overwhelming precision force. “To date, we’ve struck over 7,000 targets across Iran and its military infrastructure,” Hegseth said. “That is not incremental. That is overwhelming force applied with precision.”
Hegseth highlighted major achievements: Iran’s air defenses have been largely flattened, and hundreds of sites in its defense industrial base—factories and production lines supporting missile and drone programs—have been destroyed. Ballistic missile attacks against U.S. and allied forces have dropped by approximately 90 percent, with similar reductions in one-way attack UAVs (kamikaze drones). “The Iranians will still shoot, we know that, but they would shoot a lot more if they could. But they can’t,” he noted.
Naval losses have been particularly severe. Hegseth reported that over 120 Iranian navy ships have been damaged or sunk, with battle damage assessments ongoing. Iran’s surface fleet is “no longer a factor,” and its fleet of 11 submarines has been eliminated. Military ports are crippled, severely limiting the regime’s maritime capabilities.
The secretary framed the conflict in broader terms, stating that Iran’s core industries for decades have centered on state-sponsored terrorism, proxy militias, ballistic missiles, and a “violent, Messianic, Islamist ideology” pursuing apocalyptic goals. “A regime like that refusing to abandon its nuclear ambitions is not just a regional problem, it’s a direct threat to America, to freedom and to civilization,” Hegseth declared.
He urged gratitude from the international community, including “ungrateful allies in Europe” and segments of the media, toward President Trump for confronting this threat. “Thank you for the courage to stop this terrorist state from holding the world hostage with missiles, while building or attempting to build a nuclear bomb. Thank you for doing the work of the free world.”
As of mid-April 2026, the major combat phase of Operation Epic Fury has largely concluded with a fragile ceasefire in place. Negotiations continue for a longer-term agreement, while U.S. forces maintain enforcement in the region, including measures to secure the Strait of Hormuz. The operation has significantly degraded Iran’s conventional military capabilities, particularly its missile production, navy, and air defenses, though the long-term political outcome in Tehran remains uncertain.
