Hegseth Warns ‘More Casualties’ Should Be Expected in Iran Operation

So far, seven US service members have been killed in combat during Operation Epic Fury.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a press conference on U.S. military action in Iran, at the Pentagon in Washington on March 2, 2026. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that more American casualties can be expected in the ongoing war in Iran after seven service members were killed during Operation Epic Fury.

“There will be more casualties,” he said in an interview with “60 Minutes” aired on March 8. “And no one is, I mean, especially our generation knows what it’s like to see Americans come home in caskets ... but that doesn’t weaken us one bit. It stiffens our spine and our resolve to say this is a fight we will finish.”