Pentagon: Over 1,000 targets hit in Iran in first 24 hours of Saturday’s U.S.-Israeli attack

Pentagon officials said Monday U.S. forces struck more than 1,000 targets in Iran during the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike mission that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other officials on Saturday.

Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, told reporters at the Pentagon that the objective of the operation was clear: to protect U.S. interests in the Middle East by ending Iran’s ability to project offensive power outside its borders.

“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,” Gen. Caine said during a briefing with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. “This operation again demonstrated America’s reach, readiness and professionalism.”

He acknowledged that the goals of Operation Epic Fury will not be accomplished overnight and in some cases will be difficult. Four Army soldiers were killed during an Iranian missile and drone strike on Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.

“We expect to take additional losses, and as always, we will work to minimize U.S. losses. But, as [Mr. Hegseth] said, ‘This is major combat operations,’” Gen. Caine said.

The operation’s first salvo came from U.S. Cyber Command and U.S. Space Command, which launched electronic attacks that blinded Iran to the approach of U.S. force of Tomahawk missile strikes and more than 100 combat aircraft.

“This was a massive, overwhelming attack across all domains of warfare,” Gen. Caine said.

Despite President Trump’s call over the weekend for Iranians to overthrow Tehran’s theocratic regime, Mr. Hegseth said that wasn’t the main focus of Operation Epic Fury.

“This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change, and the world is better off for it,” the defense secretary said.

The Islamic republic has engaged in hostilities against the United States since the overthrow of the shah of Iran in 1979. The Iranian government didn’t always declare it openly, except for constant chants of ‘Death to America,’ Mr. Hegseth said.

“They did it through the blood of our people, car bombs in Beirut, rocket attacks on our ships, murders at our embassies, and roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. “If you kill Americans, if you threaten Americans anywhere on Earth, we will hunt you down without apology and without hesitation, and we will kill you.”