Admiral Brad Cooper: admiral brad cooper joins Hegseth in Tampa as Iran war continues
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held a press briefing in Tampa with admiral brad cooper as the U. S. -led campaign against Iran entered its sixth day, underscoring that the United States can “sustain the fight for as long as it takes. ” The briefing, updated March 5, 2026 at 5: 23 PM ET, provided operational totals, an outline of the next phase and confirmation of recent battlefield losses.
Briefing in Tampa and operational posture
Hegseth and Cooper spoke from U. S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa. Hegseth framed the operation as ongoing and controllable, saying “Our timeline is ours and ours alone to control, ” and asserting there is “no shortage of munitions. ” He described the mission as continuing after a weekend start and noted the campaign name in public remarks.
Admiral Brad Cooper outlines next phase
Admiral Brad Cooper, identified in the briefing as the commander leading U. S. forces in the Middle East, said the next phase will focus on efforts to “systemically dismantle Iran’s missile production capability. ” He characterized that mission as already underway but cautioned it will “take some time. ” This briefing was Cooper’s first public press appearance since the campaign began; earlier in the week he had released a video offering condolences for fallen service members and an operational update.
Scale of strikes, forces and recent losses
the U. S. had struck nearly 2, 000 targets with over 2, 000 munitions. Forces described as participating include more than 50, 000 troops, about 200 fighter aircraft, two carrier strike groups and additional bombers, a buildup characterized as the largest U. S. deployment in the Middle East in a generation. Hegseth also announced that an Iranian warship had been sunk by a U. S. torpedo, the first time a U. S. Navy torpedo has sunk a warship since World War II.
The briefing confirmed six U. S. Army Reserve members were killed when an incoming munition struck a tactical operations center in Kuwait. Cooper and Hegseth addressed the deaths directly in their comments during the Tampa event.
Regional defenses and what comes next
Earlier coverage has indicated that Arab states in the Persian Gulf region are running low on interceptors to counter retaliatory attacks, a development the Pentagon team acknowledged indirectly when discussing munitions and sustainment. With officials describing a large, sustained force posture and a stated mission to degrade missile production, the operation’s timeline was framed as dependent on operational progress: the dismantling of production infrastructure is under way but expected to require time and continued resources.
The Tampa briefing set clear near-term objectives—targeted strikes and degradation of missile production—while presenting force size and munitions as indicators of capacity for an extended campaign. If the stated mission to “systemically dismantle” missile production proceeds as described, officials indicated the effort will continue beyond the campaign’s opening days.
