Pentagon officials confirmed additional U.S. forces are deploying to the Middle East as Operation Epic Fury escalates, with military leaders warning further casualties are possible.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The United States is sending additional military forces into the Middle East as combat operations against Iran intensify, Pentagon officials confirmed March 2, while the U.S. death toll in the expanding conflict rose to four.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said during a Pentagon briefing that Adm. Brad Cooper, who oversees naval operations in the region, would receive additional forces “even today,” describing the deployment as evidence of the military’s ability to “adapt and project power at the time and place of our nation’s choosing.”
In response to a question, Caine confirmed that additional tactical aircraft are entering the theater and stated that U.S. forces are “just about where we want to be in terms of total combat capacity and total combat power.”
Major combat operations remain underway as part of Operation Epic Fury, which began after President Donald Trump authorized strikes on Iran on Feb. 27. According to Caine, the president directed through Secretary of War Pete Hegseth: “‘Operation Epic Fury approved … Good luck.’”
Caine said the campaign reflects months and, in some cases, years of planning.
“On the U.S. side, this marked the culmination of months, and in some cases, years of deliberate planning and refinement against this particular target set, from precision strikes against key military infrastructure to persistent intelligence and targeting integration to the close coordination of the components across vast distances,” Caine said. “It was historic, not only in the operational scope, but in the level of joint integration displayed across every element of the joint force.”
The general also disclosed that cyber and space operations were used in the opening phase of the campaign.
“Coordinated space and cyber operations effectively disrupted communications and sensor networks across the area of responsibility, leaving the adversary without the ability to see, coordinate, or respond effectively,” Caine said, adding that U.S. forces sought to “daze and confuse them” by targeting military bases, command and control facilities, ballistic missile sites, and intelligence infrastructure.
Despite the buildup, Caine cautioned that further losses may occur.
“We expect more American loss of life,” he said, characterizing the mission as part of “major combat operations” aimed at protecting U.S. forces and preventing Iran from projecting power beyond its borders.
Earlier March 2, U.S. Central Command confirmed that a fourth American service member had died after being seriously wounded during Iran’s initial retaliatory attacks. Three service members were reported killed the previous day, along with five seriously wounded and several others treated for minor injuries.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth provided additional details about the fatal incident, stating that an Iranian missile penetrated U.S. air defenses and struck a fortified tactical operations center.
“As it pertains to the U.S. casualties, that particular incident was, you know, you have air defenses and the lots coming in, and you hit most of it. And we absolutely do. We have incredible air defenders,” Hegseth said. He described what is known as a “squirter”—a missile that evades interception—that “happened to hit a tactical operation center that was fortified.”
Hegseth also addressed concerns about potential domestic threats following the strikes on Iran.
“We’re ready for that,” he said when asked about possible sleeper cell activity in the United States. “We’ve seen these types of folks before, and the American people can rest assured that we’re vigilant.”
While confirming there are currently no U.S. “boots on the ground,” Hegseth declined to rule out that possibility in the future.
The conflict has widened beyond Iran. Israel responded to Hezbollah rocket fire from Lebanon with airstrikes that Lebanese officials said killed at least 31 people and wounded 149. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced that the government would prohibit Hezbollah’s military activities, stating that the decision of war and peace lies exclusively with the state.
Regional tensions have also affected energy markets. Oil prices surged nearly 10 percent, with Brent crude briefly topping $80 per barrel, while European natural gas markets faced concerns over potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global liquefied natural gas shipments.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said it has no current indication that Iranian nuclear facilities were hit, though Director-General Rafael Grossi warned that a “possible radiological release” cannot be ruled out amid ongoing strikes. Iran’s ambassador to the agency said the Natanz nuclear complex had been attacked.
Iranian officials have rejected negotiations with Washington. Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani stated, “We will not negotiate with the United States,” adding that Iran did not initiate the aggression.
President Trump said March 1 that operations could last up to five weeks and reiterated that the objective is to eliminate threats from Iran and ensure the regime “can never have a nuclear weapon.”
Hegseth said the operation differs from past conflicts.
“This is not Iraq. This is not endless. I was there for both, our generation knows better, and so does this president. He called the last 20 years of nation building wars dumb, and he’s right,” Hegseth said. “This is the opposite. This operation is a clear, devastating, decisive mission, destroy the missile threat, destroy the Navy, no nukes.”
As U.S. forces continue to deploy and regional hostilities expand, military officials emphasized that the campaign remains ongoing and subject to further developments.
Original article
Comments