During a recent interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth cautioned that more casualties are anticipated in the ongoing conflict known as Operation Epic Fury in Iran. Thus far, the operation has resulted in the deaths of seven U.S. soldiers.
Hegseth addressed the issue during the interview, which aired on Sunday, emphasizing the harsh realities of military engagements.
“The president has been correct in stating that casualties are inevitable,” Hegseth noted. “Operations like these inevitably come with a cost.”
He continued, “There are bound to be more losses. Our generation, in particular, is all too familiar with the sight of Americans returning home in caskets. However, that experience doesn’t diminish our resolve; it strengthens our determination to see this mission through to the end.”
In a related appearance, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth spoke at the “Shield of the Americas” Summit held in Miami, Florida, on March 7, 2026. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
The operation has already seen significant casualties, with six U.S. service members losing their lives in a March 1 drone attack by Iran in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. Additionally, the U.S. military reported a seventh service member’s death due to injuries sustained from an Iranian assault on troops stationed in Saudi Arabia on the same day.
The U.S. and Israel last week launched joint strikes against Iran. Iran has retaliated, launching strikes against Israel and neighboring Gulf Arab states, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Residents look on and take pictures as flames and smoke rise from an oil storage facility struck as attacks hit the city during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Alireza Sotakbar/ISNA via AP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi on Sunday told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that if the U.S. deploys ground troops in Iran, “we have very brave soldiers who are waiting for any enemy who enters into our soil, to fight with them and to kill them and destroy them.”
“We never give up, we never surrender, and we continue to resist as long as it takes,” he said. “We continue to defend ourselves, and we are defending our territory, our people and our dignity. And our dignity is not for sale.”
When reporters asked President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One on Saturday about potential ground troops being used in the Iran operation, the president said there would “have to be a very good reason.”
From left, President Donald Trump, White House special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, center, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth listen to a reporter’s question while traveling aboard Air Force One en route from Dover Air Force Base, Del., to Miami, Saturday, March 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
“And I would say if we ever did that, [Iran] would be so decimated they wouldn’t be able to fight at the ground level,” Trump told reporters.
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