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The U.S. military has sunk an Iranian warship with a torpedo, marking one of about 20 vessels struck by American forces as the Trump administration scrambles to evacuate Americans from the Middle East.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted that this was the first such attack on an enemy since World War II. He also announced that additional forces, including fighter jets and bombers, would arrive in the Middle East on Wednesday. The defense secretary said the U.S. “will take all the time we need to make sure that we succeed.”Military leaders have stated that U.S. forces have hit thousands of targets across Iran, and the Pentagon indicated that the operation is intensifying. At the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that deploying U.S. ground troops is not currently part of the plan, but declined to rule out the option entirely.”They’re not part of the plan for this operation at this time, but I certainly will never take away military options on behalf of the president of the United States or the commander in chief,” Leavitt said.Iran has retaliated by targeting U.S. embassies, travel hubs, and oil facilities across the Persian Gulf. However, military leaders have reported that Iran’s attacks are becoming less frequent as the U.S. prepares to strike deeper into the country.Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said Wednesday that the number of ballistic missiles fired by Iran is down 86% from the first day of the U.S. military’s campaign, with a 23% drop in the past 24 hours. He also said that Iran’s use of one-way attack drone shots is down 73% from the opening days.Video below: US submarine sinks an Iranian warshipHegseth said that some Iranian air attacks may still hit their targets even as he asserted that U.S. military superiority is quickly controlling Iran’s airspace.”This does not mean we can stop everything, but we ensured that the maximum possible defense and maximum possible force protection was set up before we went on offense,” Hegseth said. “The combination of U.S. and Israeli intelligence and combat power will control Iran and will control it soon.”President Donald Trump and Caine have warned that more American casualties are expected in a conflict that began Saturday and could last months.The White House emphasized that the operation’s goal does not include regime change, despite the president’s discussions about new leadership and concerns that potential new leaders could be “just as bad” as the old ones.Regarding the evacuation of Americans from the region, the White House has announced that flights to bring Americans home will increase in the coming days. The State Department reported that nearly 18,000 Americans have safely returned to the U.S. since the start of Operation Epic Fury, with over 8,500 returning Tuesday alone. However, there are still thousands who need assistance, according to the press secretary.Meanwhile, the Senate failed to pass a war powers resolution that would have required Trump to obtain congressional approval for any further strikes against Iran. While Democrats have raised concerns about the operation, questioning whether Iran posed an imminent threat, Republicans have supported the strikes.
The U.S. military has sunk an Iranian warship with a torpedo, marking one of about 20 vessels struck by American forces as the Trump administration scrambles to evacuate Americans from the Middle East.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted that this was the first such attack on an enemy since World War II. He also announced that additional forces, including fighter jets and bombers, would arrive in the Middle East on Wednesday. The defense secretary said the U.S. “will take all the time we need to make sure that we succeed.”
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Military leaders have stated that U.S. forces have hit thousands of targets across Iran, and the Pentagon indicated that the operation is intensifying.
At the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that deploying U.S. ground troops is not currently part of the plan, but declined to rule out the option entirely.
“They’re not part of the plan for this operation at this time, but I certainly will never take away military options on behalf of the president of the United States or the commander in chief,” Leavitt said.
Iran has retaliated by targeting U.S. embassies, travel hubs, and oil facilities across the Persian Gulf. However, military leaders have reported that Iran’s attacks are becoming less frequent as the U.S. prepares to strike deeper into the country.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said Wednesday that the number of ballistic missiles fired by Iran is down 86% from the first day of the U.S. military’s campaign, with a 23% drop in the past 24 hours. He also said that Iran’s use of one-way attack drone shots is down 73% from the opening days.
Video below: US submarine sinks an Iranian warship
Hegseth said that some Iranian air attacks may still hit their targets even as he asserted that U.S. military superiority is quickly controlling Iran’s airspace.
“This does not mean we can stop everything, but we ensured that the maximum possible defense and maximum possible force protection was set up before we went on offense,” Hegseth said. “The combination of U.S. and Israeli intelligence and combat power will control Iran and will control it soon.”
President Donald Trump and Caine have warned that more American casualties are expected in a conflict that began Saturday and could last months.
The White House emphasized that the operation’s goal does not include regime change, despite the president’s discussions about new leadership and concerns that potential new leaders could be “just as bad” as the old ones.
Regarding the evacuation of Americans from the region, the White House has announced that flights to bring Americans home will increase in the coming days. The State Department reported that nearly 18,000 Americans have safely returned to the U.S. since the start of Operation Epic Fury, with over 8,500 returning Tuesday alone. However, there are still thousands who need assistance, according to the press secretary.
Meanwhile, the Senate failed to pass a war powers resolution that would have required Trump to obtain congressional approval for any further strikes against Iran. While Democrats have raised concerns about the operation, questioning whether Iran posed an imminent threat, Republicans have supported the strikes.
