Five days into Operation Epic Fury, the United States military delivered a blunt assessment on Wednesday evening: Iran’s conventional military capability has been shattered — and America isn’t slowing down.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine held a Pentagon briefing that painted a picture of near-total dominance over Iranian forces by air, sea, and cyberspace. But as the military celebrated its operational successes, the human cost of the conflict continued to mount — with over 1,000 dead in Iran, six U.S. service members killed, and a growing controversy over civilian casualties threatening to complicate Washington’s messaging.
Iran’s Navy: ‘Combat Ineffective, Decimated, Destroyed’
In perhaps the most dramatic development of Day 5, the Pentagon confirmed that Iran’s entire naval capability has been effectively neutralized. More than 20 Iranian warships have been sunk or destroyed, including a Soleimani-class catamaran corvette struck overnight.
“There is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or Gulf of Oman,” CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said in a video posted to social media. “And we will not stop.”
The most stunning single engagement came when a U.S. attack submarine torpedoed the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka — the first time the U.S. Navy has sunk an enemy warship with a torpedo since World War II. The strike killed more than 80 Iranian sailors, with 32 crew members rescued alive by Sri Lankan naval forces. Over 100 remain missing.
“That Iranian warship thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth said from the Pentagon podium. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. America is winning — decisively, devastatingly, and without mercy.”
Iran’s Missile Arsenal Gutted by 86 Percent
CENTCOM reported that the number of ballistic missiles Iran has fired regionally has decreased by 86 percent since the campaign began on February 28. The Israeli Air Force announced it struck several ballistic missile storage sites and defense facilities overnight on March 3-4, with satellite imagery confirming significant damage to Iranian military-industrial targets.
Among the confirmed strikes: the Novin Sazan Industrial Group, Ghazanfar Roknabadi Industries, Baharestan Industrial Town, and Hakimiyah Industrial Zone — all linked to Iran’s weapons production infrastructure.
Admiral Cooper described the operation as “24/7 strikes into Iran from seabed to space and cyberspace,” with more than 50,000 U.S. troops, 200 fighter aircraft, two aircraft carrier strike groups, and B-2 and B-1 stealth bombers actively deployed.
“Iran cannot outlast the United States in a fight,” Hegseth declared.
The Human Cost: 1,000+ Dead in Iran, Six Americans Killed
While the Pentagon touted its military achievements, the death toll continued to climb. According to preliminary figures tracked by international media, more than 1,045 people have been killed in Iran since strikes began on February 28. At least 11 people have died in Israel from Iranian retaliatory fire, and nine deaths have been reported across Gulf states.
On the American side, six U.S. service members have been killed — all by an Iranian drone that struck the Shuaiba port military facility in Kuwait on Sunday, the first day of the campaign. The Pentagon identified four of the victims as Army Reserve members, though full details on all six have not yet been released.
The Trump administration warned that more American casualties are expected as the conflict continues.
School Bombing Controversy Erupts at the White House
A firestorm erupted during Wednesday’s White House press briefing when reporters pressed Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on U.S. involvement in a strike that hit an Iranian girls’ elementary school, reportedly killing up to 175 people, including children.
“Many people in this room have fallen for that propaganda,” Leavitt shot back, accusing reporters of amplifying Iranian disinformation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously stated that the U.S. “would not deliberately target a school.”
However, the incident has been documented by on-the-ground reporters and civilian cell phone footage, raising questions about whether the strike constitutes a potential war crime — even if unintentional. The controversy threatens to undermine domestic and international support for the campaign at a critical moment.
Hezbollah Enters the Fight — Kassem Vows ‘No Surrender’
In a significant escalation, Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem delivered his first public address since the war began, declaring that the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group will confront “Israeli-American aggression” and will never surrender despite what he acknowledged as an “imbalance in capabilities.”
Kassem rejected the Lebanese government’s plan to disarm Hezbollah fighters. “As long as the occupation is present, then the resistance and its weapons are a legitimate right,” he said.
Celebratory gunfire lit up the skies over Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, during the broadcast — a defiant show of force even as Israeli jets continued to pound targets across Lebanon. Meanwhile, rockets fired from Lebanon struck the northern Israeli town of Hatzor HaGlilit, damaging residential homes.
Senate Kills War Powers Resolution — Green Light for Trump
In Washington, the U.S. Senate voted 47-53 to reject a bipartisan war powers resolution that would have restricted President Trump’s authority to continue military operations against Iran without congressional authorization.
The vote fell largely along party lines, with almost all Democrats supporting the measure and most Republicans opposing it. The failed resolution was the eighth war powers vote Congress has taken since June — all have failed.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt framed the Senate result as a mandate: “The United States of America has more than enough capability to not only successfully execute Operation Epic Fury, but to go much further. We have weapons stockpiles in places that many people in this world don’t know about.”
Regional Spillover: Gulf States, Embassies, and Oil Under Fire
The conflict continued to spread across the Middle East on Day 5. Iranian retaliatory strikes hit targets in the UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. A residential tower in Bahrain was reportedly struck by an Iranian drone. Explosions were reported at the U.S. Consulate in Dubai, and three U.S. embassies — in Kuwait, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia — were closed.
Iran’s threats to close the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted global oil flows, with tankers seen congregating off the coast of Fujairah, UAE, as shipping companies scrambled for clarity. President Trump announced the U.S. would provide insurance for commercial shipping through the strait — an unprecedented wartime measure aimed at keeping oil markets stable.
In Iraq, security forces foiled a rocket launch attempt, seizing a platform carrying two missiles apparently aimed at U.S. positions. Kurdish Iranian dissident groups based in northern Iraq are also reportedly preparing for a cross-border military operation into Iran, with U.S. encouragement — a development that could signal the opening of a ground front.
What Comes Next
With Iran’s navy destroyed, its missile capability dramatically reduced, and its air defenses crumbling under continuous assault, the military phase of Operation Epic Fury appears to be progressing rapidly in favor of the U.S.-Israeli coalition. But the political and humanitarian dimensions are far more complicated.
The school bombing controversy, mounting civilian casualties, Hezbollah’s entry into the conflict, and the regional spillover into Gulf states all point to a war that is escalating — not winding down. President Trump has said the campaign could last “weeks or more,” and the administration has repeatedly dodged questions about whether regime change is the ultimate objective.
As night falls over Tehran on Day 5, American and Israeli warplanes continue their relentless bombardment of the Iranian capital’s western districts — targeting Mehrabad airport, areas near Azadi Square, and the Tehransar and Chitgar neighborhoods. The question is no longer whether Iran’s military can survive this onslaught, but what comes after.