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President says Operation Epic Fury is "obliterating" Iran's military, cites destroyed missiles and ships
Summary
The President and administration officials described a major military campaign against Iran—"Operation Epic Fury"—claiming extensive damage to Iran's navy, air force, missile launchers and production facilities and saying the campaign gives the U.S. diplomatic leverage. Claims are reported as administration statements and are not independently verified in the remarks.
The President updated attendees on "Operation Epic Fury," saying the campaign is "an appropriate name because we are absolutely obliterating them." He credited U.S. military action with destroying a large portion of Iran's missiles, launchers, naval vessels and parts of its defense industrial base, and said the-strike campaign was a display of "force and precision."
Vice President JD Vance characterized Iran's conventional military as "effectively destroyed," saying the battlefield results give the United States more options to ensure "Iran never has a nuclear weapon." Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth, both speaking after the President, reiterated the administration's objectives—destroying Iranian naval and missile capabilities and degrading its factories—and offered operational tallies cited by the administration. "Every single objective the president clearly laid out on the first night of this operation is being effectuated," Rubio said.
The President and his advisers framed the strikes as precise attacks on military targets and production facilities. The President said the campaign had "knocked out probably close to 90% of the launchers" and that Iran's navy and air force had been "wiped out"; Pete Hegseth described the operation as "decisive" and cited administration tallies of enemy targets and sunk vessels. These figures were presented by administration officials in the event; independent verification was not offered during the remarks.
