The defense secretary has disparaged restrictive rules for opening fire that are aimed at reducing the risk of mistakes and civilian casualties.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s bellicose and vengeful rhetoric describing the military’s war in Iran grew out of his experience in Iraq.
Despite his tough talk, President Trump has consistently made allowances for countries he sees as powerful or dominant.
In a Capitol Hill briefing, officials gave their most comprehensive assessment of the cost of the first six days of the war, but the number omitted several aspects of the operation.
In the lead-up to the U.S.-Israeli attack, President Trump downplayed the risks to the energy markets as a short-term concern that should not overshadow the mission to decapitate the Iranian regime.
A video posted by the U.S. Central Command showed munitions striking nine vessels, most of which were moored at the time. Whether any mines have been laid in Gulf waters was unclear.
Iran appears to be targeting what it views as American vulnerabilities, including air defenses meant to guard troops and assets in the region.
Eight Americans have been seriously wounded, military officials said, but the bulk of the injured have already returned to duty. Seven Americans have been killed.
The service member killed was not publicly identified, but U.S. Central Command said the death was caused by injuries after an attack on a Saudi military base.
A senior U.S. military official said those targets included missile launchers and air-defense sites.