U.S. Intensifies Air Campaign Against Iran Amid Domestic Policy Rift

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman General Dan Caine held a Pentagon briefing Friday to detail significant military achievements in Operation Epic Fury. Officials reported that U.S.-Israeli strikes successfully sank an Iranian naval warship, destroyed various ballistic missile installations, and established air dominance. The Pentagon also claimed that Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is wounded and in hiding. President Trump has signaled that these strikes will intensify in the coming days. Despite these military reports, the administration faces intensifying domestic criticism. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer accused the President of withholding critical intelligence regarding a missile strike on an Iranian all-girls elementary school, demanding transparency as U.S. service member casualties continue to rise. On Friday, the military announced the deaths of four more service members. On the international stage, economist Jeffrey Sachs criticized the campaign as a 'war of choice' that undermines UN authority and risks a global economic crisis. The continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz has driven oil prices to multi-year highs, while regional analysts in Pakistan have noted potential divergences in war aims between U.S. and Israeli leadership.