Top U.S. general says it will take time to achieve Iran war goals

The U.S. military, in "Epic Fury," is conducting operations against Iran, as announced by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine. The officials declined to provide a specific timeline, emphasizing the operation is not a short-term endeavor, despite President Trump's earlier four-week estimate. The primary objective is to curb Iran's ability to project power and prevent nuclear weapons, not regime change, while acknowledging changes within the Iranian leadership. General Caine detailed Trump's approval for the operation, highlighting the importance of surprise and classified actions. Cyber operations preceded the attacks, disrupting Iran's communication and response capabilities, and initiated at 1:15 a.m. (ET). The initial strikes, led by Israel and followed by U.S. attacks, targeted over 1,000 locations within the first 24 hours. The focus now is degrading Iranian infrastructure like command centers, naval forces, missile sites, and intelligence assets, with air superiority established. Additional forces are deploying, and an investigation into downed U.S. aircraft is ongoing. The operation has resulted in the loss of four U.S. service members, with expectations of further casualties as fighting progresses.