President says U.S. and partners have heavily degraded Iran's military in Operation Epic Fury

The president said at a news conference that U.S. forces and allies have inflicted major damage on Iran's military and infrastructure in "Operation Epic Fury," describing it as "one of the most powerful and complex military strikes and maneuvers the world has ever seen." He asserted that U.S. and Israeli forces have "struck over 5,000 targets to date" and that Iranian naval forces were largely sunk, citing an updated figure of "51 ships."

Why it matters: The administration framed the strikes as aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and disrupting its ability to project missiles and drones. The president argued the campaign has reduced Iranian missile and drone launch capacity dramatically, saying missile launchers were down "about 90%" and drone launchers down "83%." Those are administration claims presented at the briefing; the president did not present independently sourced evidence during the session.

Details and exchanges: The president described specific tools and strikes, saying B‑2 bombers "recently dropped dozens of 2,000 pound bombs to destroy missile launchers" and that U.S. forces had targeted sites where drones and missiles were made. When a reporter asked about footage that purportedly showed a tomahawk missile strike hitting an Iranian girls' school, the president said he had not seen the footage and that the incident was "being investigated." He also acknowledged U.S. military fatalities associated with the campaign and said he had visited Dover, where he spoke with families; when asked how many American deaths he would accept, he replied recounting bereaved families' calls to "Finish the job."

Reporting context and limits: Reporters at the briefing challenged some of the president's claims. One question noted that the defense secretary had characterized the campaign as "just the beginning," while the president described it as "very complete"; the president said both could be true — claiming the military phase had achieved major objectives while leaving additional work ahead. The briefing did not include presentation of documentary evidence or independent corroboration of the specific casualty and equipment-attrition figures cited.

Next steps: The president said the administration will continue strikes as needed and is offering political risk insurance and potential escorts for tankers in the Gulf to keep oil flowing. He said some oil-related sanctions would be temporarily waived "till this straightens out" to ease price pressures.

Quote: "We've struck over 5,000 targets to date," the president said, adding that much of Iran's missile and drone capability had been degraded.

Ending: Reporters continued to press for details on specific incidents, investigations and the expected duration of operations; the president declined to provide independent evidence at the briefing and said investigations were ongoing.