Pentagon chief says 'America is winning,' U.S. submarine sank Iranian warship with torpedo

▲ U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon near Washington on March 4, 2026, in this photo released by the Associated Press. (Yonhap)

▲ Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon near Washington on March 4, 2026, in this photo released by the Associated Press. (Yonhap)

Pentagon-Iran operation

Pentagon chief says 'America is winning,' U.S. submarine sank Iranian warship with torpedo

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, March 4 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed Wednesday that "America is winning" in an ongoing military operation against Iran, as he announced a U.S. submarine sunk an Iranian warship with a torpedo in the Indian Ocean the previous day.

Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine held a press briefing on progress in the operation, codenamed "Operation Epic Fury," including the U.S. military having killed the leader of an Iranian unit that attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump.

"I stand before you today with one unmistakable message about Operation Epic Fury: America is winning decisively, devastatingly and without mercy under the direct command of President Trump," Hegseth said.

Noting the military operation against Iran kicked off just on Saturday, the Pentagon chief said the United States will "take all the time we need to make sure that we succeed."

"We can sustain this fight easily for as long as we need to," he said.

Hegseth highlighted the headway that the U.S. military is making in the operation, including the sinking of the Iranian vessel.

"An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death. The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II," he said.

"Also yesterday, the leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate President Trump has been hunted down and killed. Iran tried to kill President Trump and President Trump got the last laugh," he added.

Caine described the sinking of the warship as an "incredible demonstration of America's global reach to hunt, find and kill an out-of-area deployer."

Asked about the speculation that Iran might be trying to outlast the U.S. ability to intercept Iranian missiles, Hegseth said the Islamic Republic cannot outlast the U.S. through America's offensive and defensive capabilities.

"As I said, we set the tone and the tempo of this fight," he said.

Hegseth reiterated the key objectives of the operation.

"As I said Monday, the mission is laser-focused -- obliterate Iran's missiles and drones and facilities that produce them, annihilate its Navy and critical security infrastructure and sever their pathway to nuclear weapons," he said. "Iran will never possess a nuclear bomb ... Not on our watch."

Caine said that to date, the U.S. military has hit over 2,000 targets and destroyed more than 20 Iranian naval vessels during the operation, and that Iran has fired more than 500 ballistic missiles and more than 2,000 drones striking civilian targets throughout the region.

Over the next 24 to 48 hours, U.S. Central Command will continue to strike Iranian infrastructure and naval capabilities, the general said.

He described that though the operation is still in its "early" stage, "the balance is shifting." But he pointed out risks inherent in a major combat mission.

"We've always got to remember that these operations are complex, dangerous and far from over. Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, guardians and Coast Guard guardsmen remain in harm's way, he said. "We must be clear-eyed that the risk is still high. This is combat. Let us never forget this."

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