Washington, March 1 : US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared that the United States has launched â??OPERATION EPIC FURYâ??, calling it â??the most lethal, most complex, and most-precision aerial operation in historyâ?? and warning Tehran of sweeping military consequences.

â??Overnight, on President Trumpâ??s orders, the Department of War commenced OPERATION EPIC FURY,â?? Hegseth said in a statement.

He framed the action as a response to Iranâ??s refusal to negotiate. â??The Iranian regime had their chance, yet refused to make a deal â?? and now they are suffering the consequences,â?? he said.

Hegseth accused Iran of decades of hostility towards the United States. â??For almost fifty years, Iran has targeted and killed Americans, always seeking the worldâ??s most powerful weapons to further their radical cause,â?? he said.

â??Last night, unlike any previous president, President Trump began dealing with this cancer,â?? he added.

The Secretary of War outlined an expansive military objective. â??We will not tolerate powerful missiles targeting the American people. Those missiles will be destroyed, along with Iranâ??s missile production,â?? he said.

â??The Iranian navy will be destroyed. And, as President Trump has said his entire life, Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.â??

Hegseth insisted Washington was responding to provocation. â??The United States did not start this conflict, but we will finish it,â?? he said.

He delivered a blunt warning to Tehran. â??If you kill or threaten Americans anywhere in the world â?? as Iran has â?? then we will hunt you down, and we will kill you.â??

Hegseth also praised US forces engaged in the operation. â??Our warriors are the best in the world, and they are fully unleashed to achieve our objectives,â?? he said.

In a statement, CENTCOM said the operation â??at the direction of the President of the United States,â?? started striking targets at 1:15 a.m. Eastern Time â??to dismantle the Iranian regimeâ??s security apparatus, prioritising locations that posed an imminent threat,â?? the statement said.

According to CENTCOM, targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.

â??The President ordered bold action, and our brave Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Guardians, and Coast Guardsmen are answering the call,â?? said Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM.

The command said the first hours of the operation involved precision munitions launched from air, land and sea platforms. It also confirmed that CENTCOMâ??s Task Force Scorpion Strike employed low-cost one-way attack drones for the first time in combat.

Following the initial wave of US and partner strikes, CENTCOM forces â??successfully defended against hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks,â?? the statement said.

â??There have been no reports of US casualties or combat-related injuries,â?? it added, noting that damage to US installations was minimal and has not impacted operations.

CENTCOM said Operation Epic Fury represents â??the largest regional concentration of American military firepower in a generation,â?? underscoring the scale of the campaign now underway in and around Iran.

/IANS