Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States military as "only just begun" in Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing major combat operation in Iran that resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, during a press conference Wednesday (March 4) morning.

"It’s very early and has President Trump has said we will take all the time we need to make sure that we succeed," Hegseth said via ABC News. “We are only four days into this and the results have been incredible."

"We are accelerating, not decelerating," he added, claiming there will be complete control of Iranian airspace in the coming days.

Hegseth's comments came hours after the Pentagon identified four of the six U.S. service members killed during operation Epic Fury. Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Florida.; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Nebraska.; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of Minnesota; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, Iowa, were killed by an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait on Sunday (March 1).

All four soldiers were assigned to the Army Reserve's 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa. The incident that resulted in their deaths remains under investigation, according to the Pentagon.

The soldiers were working out of a triple-wide trailer without strong protection, which was directly hit from an overhead attack from the Iranian kamikaze drone, according to multiple reports.

“Their sacrifice, and the sacrifices of their families, will never be forgotten,” Lt. Gen. Robert Harter, the chief of the Army Reserve and commanding general of the US Army Reserve Command, said in a statement obtained by the California Post.

“On behalf of the Army Reserve, we express our heartfelt condolences to their families and loved ones,” Harter added. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to honoring the legacy of our fallen and supporting their teammates and families during this difficult time.”

The Iranian regime gave a public warning claiming it was preparing to launch “the most devastating offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s armed forces" against U.S. bases at any moment while confirming the death of Khamenei during an attack by American and Israeli force.

“The most devastating offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s armed forces will begin toward the occupied territories and American terrorist bases in just moments,” the regime said via the semi-official Fars News Agency at around 6:15 a.m. local time.

Iran has launched retaliatory attacks on Israeli and American assets in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Oman in the hours following reports of Khamenei's death.