NORFOLK, Va. — The war with Iran, also known as Operation Epic Fury, was one the U.S. was winning Thursday, according to a U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
“Our capabilities continue to build, Iran’s continue to degrade," said Hegseth.
Thursday during a press briefing at the Pentagon, Hegseth provided an update on Operation Epic Fury. Among other things, he said ballistic missile and drone attacks from Iran against U.S. forces were down 90 percent since the start of the fighting.
Watch: USS Gerald R. Ford sailors serve in Middle East amid US war with Iran
During a regularly scheduled talk with reporters Thursday Virginia U.S. Sen. Mark Warner had a lot to say about the fighting, including his reaction to questions members of Congress asked the director of national intelligence Wednesday.
“She did not want to say the quiet part out loud, that there was no imminent threat and that this is a war of choice," Warner said.
News 3 also reached out to Virginia U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans.
Watch: Sen. Warner laments 'additional stress' on long-deployed sailors amid Iran war
“We have another brief that will be scheduled for next week I understand. So we are getting updates on that progression, but progress is being made and this is a regime that needs to be taken away," said Kiggans.
News 3 asked both for an update on the Norfolk-based USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, which is participating in the fighting. On March 9, the Vice Chief of Naval Operations told members of Congress the Ford’s deployment, which was extended in February, would likely last about 11 months.
As News 3 has reported, the carrier itself has been plagued with problems with bathrooms and, most recently as of Thursday, a fire that reportedly forced numerous sailors to sleep on tables and floors.
Watch: Politicians on both sides of the aisle decry conditions on USS Gerald R. Ford following fire
“I received a secret brief this morning about the issues on the Ford concerning the recent fire," Kiggans explained. There will be an assessment that is to be done, so we are all waiting to hear what the results of that assessment are to learn what their schedule will be going forward."
“It may be May before they come back," Warner said. "They’ll do their duty, but I wonder how many of these sailors will choose not to re-enlist after this long deployment."
Thursday afternoon, fellow Virginia U.S Sen. Tim Kaine announced he sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of the Navy to express concerns about the strike group's deployment.
Watch: New footage raises questions about who's responsible for deadly strike on Iranian girl's school
The letter reads, in part, “I am concerned that we are handicapping our future readiness by delaying much-needed maintenance to fulfill these deployment extensions. When ships finally return from an extended deployment, their maintenance periods often run beyond the anticipated time and budget, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of decreased readiness and shipyard delays.”
The eleven-month deployment projection put the Ford’s deployment on pace to be longer than the USS Midway’s 332-day deployment during the Vietnam War, which as of Thursday was the record for longest deployment of an aircraft carrier.
