Pentagon eyes ‘more and more bunkers’ and other tech to shield troops in Operation Epic Fury

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said Iran's weapons arsenal is diminishing as Operation Epic Fury—a U.S.-led, Israel-coordinated campaign involving at least 50,000 American troops—enters its second month. U.S. Central Command reported 348 military personnel have been wounded in the conflict, with 315 returning to duty and at least 13 killed, while forces have struck more than 11,000 targets over the first 30 days and executed 200 dynamic strikes in the last 24 hours alone. Hegseth, who made a secret trip to the Middle East this weekend to meet with deployed personnel, emphasized the Pentagon is rapidly deploying bunkers, air-and-missile defense systems, and electronic warfare capabilities to shield troops as Iran attempts to disrupt global shipping near the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump launched the operation on February 28 with the stated aim of destroying Iran's leadership, ballistic missiles, drones, and nuclear infrastructure. The Pentagon is considering deploying ground troops in the near term as lawmakers raise concerns about the operation's impact on U.S. munitions stockpiles.