US generals warn Iran campaign will be prolonged, not a quick strike

Defense officials say the Iran campaign, dubbed Epic Fury, will not end overnight and has no fixed timetable, with losses expected. The stated goals are to prevent Iran from projecting power, degrade its ballistic missiles, reduce its navy, and prevent a nuclear weapon. In the first 24 hours, strikes hit more than 1,000 targets; after ~57 hours, focus is on Iranian command-and-control, naval forces, missile sites, and intelligence assets, aided by cyber/space operations, with local air superiority established and additional forces en route. Four U.S. soldiers were killed, and an investigation is underway into downed F-15s. The operation followed an Israeli strike and was approved by Trump; officials say there are no U.S. ground troops in Iran for now and emphasize the effort is not an endless war.