Pete Hegseth declares Iran is toast as US days | Political News

Pete Hegseth said the U.S.’ enemies are “toast and they know it” while giving an update on the Iran warfare on Wednesday.

The Secretary of Defense praised the mixed efforts of the U.S. and Israel in the battle. “Only the United States of America could lead this, only us. But when you add the Israeli Defense Forces, a devastatingly capable force, the combination is sheer destruction for our radical Islamist-Iranian adversaries,” he said.

“They are toast, and they know it. Or at least, soon enough, they will know it.” Hegseth added that Operation Epic Fury was a success. “America is successful decisively, devastatingly, and without mercy.”

Hegseth famous that the U.S. may continue army motion against Iran for as long as needed. “The enemy can no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did not even close,” he said. “We can sustain this fight easily for as long as we need to.”

The initial strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, creating a energy battle as the area scrambles to select a new chief. Hegseth said the objective of the operation was to end and repair Iran’s leaders.

“We’re playing for keeps. Our warfighters have maximum authorities granted personally by the president and yours truly,” he said. “Our rules of engagement are bold, precise, and designed to unleash American power, not shackle it.

“This was never meant to be a honest struggle, and it is not a honest struggle. We are punching them while they’re down, which is precisely how it must be.”

The statement comes as the identities of the first U.S. casualties in the conflict have been released. Six service members were killed when an “unmanned plane system” evaded air defenses to hit a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on Sunday.

U.S. Central Command initially said three soldiers died in the attack, but officials confirmed on Monday that the death toll had doubled. Four of the deceased were identified on Tuesday as Capt. Cody Khork, 35, Sgt. Noah Tietjens, 42, Sgt. Nicole Amor, 39, and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20.

In a briefing on Monday, Hegseth said a “highly effective weapon” had struck a “tactical operations middle that was fortified.”

Khork, a Florida resident, had previously been deployed to Saudi Arabia, Guantanamo Bay, and Poland. Amor, from Minnesota, was previously deployed to Kuwait and Iraq. Tietjens, a Nebraska resident, had been deployed to Kuwait twice. All three were decorated service members.

Coady was posthumously promoted to the rank of specialist, the military said. The Iowa resident enlisted in the Army Reserve just three years ago.

Iranian warship sinks

During Wednesday’s briefing, Hegseth confirmed that a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, declaring that the Iranian navy “rests at the underside of the Persian Gulf.”

He said the warship had believed it was safe in international waters. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo, a quiet death – the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II. Like in that warfare, back when we have been still the warfare division, we’re combating to win.”

Sri Lankan authorities said 32 people have been rescued from the Iranian ship. The warfare has killed more than 1,000 people in Iran and dozens in Lebanon, while disrupting the availability of the world’s oil and gasoline.