‘We are just getting started:’ Hegseth boasts of ‘incredible’ results of US war with Iran after four days

‘They are toast and they know it,’ Hegseth said of Iran NewsWorldAmericasUS politics‘We are just getting started:’ Hegseth boasts of ‘incredible’ results of US war with Iran after four days‘They are toast and they know it,’ Hegseth said of IranRhian Lubin in New York Wednesday 04 March 2026 13:30 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover‘We Are Just Getting Started-’ Hegseth Boasts Of ‘Incredible’ Results Of US War With Iran After Four DaysYour support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth has boasted of the “incredible” results of the joint U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign on Iran as the conflict entered its fifth day.“We are only four days into this, and the results have been incredible, historic really...only the United States of America could lead this,” Hegseth said Wednesday at a Pentagon briefing.“America is winning decisively, devastatingly and without mercy,” Hegseth said. “They are toast, and they know it,” he said of Iran as he struck a defiant tone. Hegseth also claimed that “the leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate President Trump has been hunted down and killed” in missile strikes on Tuesday, but did not offer further details. The sweeping military action has so far killed six U.S. service members, including Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, who was killed in an Iranian drone strike at a command center in Kuwait just days away from returning home to her family. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Dan Caine provided an update on the U.S. military action on Iran Wednesday, where Hegseth boasted of the ‘incredible’ results (AP)Others killed in the conflict were Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa, who was posthumously promoted from specialist, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Dan Caine confirmed at the briefing. At the briefing, Hegseth announced that a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship with a torpedo in international waters and showed reporters a video of the attack.He claimed the Tuesday night strike on the warship was the first such attack on an enemy since the Second World War.“The Iranian navy rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf,” Hegeth said.The death toll in Iran has reached at least 1,045 people, an Iranian government agency said Wednesday.Hegseth’s latest remarks follow days of disjointed messaging from the Trump administration as officials have offered conflicting rationales for launching airstrikes on Iran.At a press conference on Monday, Hegseth insisted the strikes would prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and harming more Americans and blasted the media and “political leftists.”Hegseth insisted Monday that the goal of the operation was to eliminate Iran’s ability to build a nuclear weapon. He also acknowledged the strikes led to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The defense chief declared, “This is not a regime change war, but the regime sure did change.” But President Donald Trump struck a different tone Tuesday when he admitted the “worst case” scenario is “we do this and then somebody takes over who is as bad as the previous person.”He added that “five years” from now, the U.S. could look back and realize that the action was a mistake. “That could happen. We don’t want that to happen.”This is a breaking storyMore aboutDonald TrumpPete HegsethIranWhite HousePentagonJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesCommentsMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next