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Extra U.S. forces are headed to the Center East, in keeping with chairman of the Joint Chiefs of workers Gen. Dan Caine, because the U.S. escalates its marketing campaign in opposition to Iran.
“The movement of forces continues at present. In reality, Admiral Cooper will obtain further forces even at present,” Caine mentioned throughout a Pentagon briefing Monday morning, referring to Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper.
Caine declined to offer troop numbers, saying, “I do not wish to discuss specifics, as a result of that may tip the enemy off. We’ve extra tactical aviation flowing into theater simply primarily based on the time it took to get it on the market.”
“I feel we’re nearly the place we wish to be by way of complete fight capability and complete fight energy for Admiral Cooper.”
Caine mentioned the extra forces construct on a monthlong repositioning of U.S. property throughout the area, together with service strike teams, superior fighter plane and air protection methods, because the U.S. prosecutes what officers described as “main fight operations” which have already resulted within the loss of life of 555 Iranians, in keeping with an Related Press rely, as of Monday morning.
Map of US naval property presently working within the Center East. (Fox Information)
Caine mentioned the U.S. mission in Iran is to “forestall Iran from (the) capacity to venture energy outdoors its borders.”
“This isn’t a so-called regime change struggle, however the regime certain did change and the world is healthier off for it at present,” added Struggle Secretary Pete Hegseth.
AMERICA STRIKES IRAN AGAIN — HAS WASHINGTON PLANNED FOR WHAT COMES NEXT?
Hegseth mentioned the mission was to destroy Iranian missiles and missile manufacturing, destroy its navy and guarantee it has no functionality to pursue a nuclear weapon.
The final warned the operation “will take a while” and acknowledged, “We count on to take further losses.” 4 U.S. service members have been killed within the operation that started within the early hours of Saturday Jap Time.
Hegseth mentioned the service members had been struck by an Iranian missile that penetrated air defenses at a tactical command heart.

Smoke rises in Tehran following an explosion on March 2, 2026, amid ongoing U.S. and Israeli navy strikes. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Pictures)
Requested whether or not there are American boots on the bottom in Iran, Hegseth replied, “no,” however mentioned the administration wouldn’t telegraph future choices.
It is “one of many fallacies” that “this division or presidents or others ought to inform the American individuals — and our enemies, by the way in which — ‘here is precisely what we’ll do,'” Hegseth mentioned. “It is foolishness.”
In the beginning of the operation generally known as Epic Fury, Caine mentioned greater than 100 plane launched from land and sea in a synchronized wave, together with fighters, tankers, digital assault plane, bombers and unmanned platforms. U.S. cyber and space forces first carried out non-kinetic operations designed to disrupt and degrade Iran’s capacity to speak and reply, he mentioned.
Tomahawk missiles fired from U.S. Navy vessels struck Iranian naval forces alongside the southern flank, whereas coordinated precision strikes focused command and management infrastructure, ballistic missile websites and intelligence services.

Struggle Secretary Pete Hegseth, left, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers Gen. Dan Caine take questions throughout a press convention on U.S. navy motion in Iran on the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on March 2, 2026. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/through Getty Pictures)
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Caine mentioned the opening part struck greater than 1,000 targets within the first 24 hours. American B-2 bombers flew 37-hour round-trip missions from the continental United States to hit underground services with penetrating munitions, he added.
“We at the moment are roughly 57 hours into the operation,” Caine mentioned Monday, including that U.S. forces have launched lots of of missions and delivered tens of 1000’s of items of ordnance because the marketing campaign continues to scale.

