Pentagon Releases Videos, Images Of Iranian Strikes
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of War has released a series of declassified videos and high-resolution images documenting the first 72 hours of Operation Epic Fury. The footage, which shows the systematic destruction of Iranian missile launch sites and naval assets, confirms that the U.S. military is executing a "laser-focused" campaign to neutralize the Iranian threat once and for all.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, joined by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, addressed the nation on Monday morning, outlining the specific strategic objectives of the mission.
"No More Dumb Wars": The Hegseth Doctrine
Secretary Hegseth was quick to differentiate the current operation from the "nation-building" efforts of the last two decades.
A Decisive Mission: "This is not Iraq. This is not endless," Hegseth declared. "This operation is a clear, devastating, decisive mission: Destroy the missile threat, destroy the navy, no nukes."
Laser Precision: The primary focus of the operation remains the use of advanced technology to dismantle Iran's security infrastructure without the need for "boots on the ground" at this stage.
The Cost of Conflict: The War Department confirmed that four U.S. military personnel have been killed and more than a dozen wounded since the operation began. Meanwhile, the Iranian Red Crescent reports that 555 people have been killed within Iran, and 11 in Israel.
“Iran had a conventional gun to our head as they tried to lie their way to a nuclear bomb,” Hegseth said. “They started this by targeting global shipping and pursuing a nuclear weapon. We are finishing it.”
Rubio’s Global Warning: "The Old World is Gone"
On Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled a massive shift in American foreign policy, telling reporters that the geopolitical landscape he grew up in has vanished. He urged American allies to recognize this "new era" and help Washington forge a new path for the West.
Diplomatic Realignment: Rubio noted that the administration has been holding private conversations with allies to redefine their roles in this fast-changing world.
Congressional Notification: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Rubio notified the "Gang of Eight"—the top leaders in Congress—prior to the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes. Rubio successfully briefed seven of the eight members before the operation commenced.
Command from Mar-a-Lago
While the strikes were executed, President Donald Trump monitored the situation from his residence at Mar-a-Lago, surrounded by his national security team. The President also held a high-level phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to coordinate the joint military actions.
The administration’s interpretation of the 1947 National Security Act—notifying the Gang of Eight rather than the full intelligence committees—has drawn some criticism from congressional Democrats, but the White House maintains that the President acted well within his constitutional authority to protect American interests.
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The Path to 2026 Victory
As the CENTCOM battle damage assessment continues, the message from the Trump administration is clear: Operation Epic Fury will continue until the Iranian missile threat is eliminated and the path to a nuclear weapon is permanently blocked. With the "old world" behind them, the U.S. and its allies are moving with "ruthless precision" to secure a new era of global stability.
Nearly 150,000 California Mail Ballots Rejected In Primary
California election officials are examining why nearly 150,000 mail-in ballots were rejected during the state’s June primary, with late-arriving ballots accounting for most of the increase.
The higher rejection rate comes despite years of election law changes designed to make voting more accessible and ensure more ballots are ultimately counted.
According to data compiled by the California Secretary of State’s office, 148,241 mail-in ballots were rejected during the June primary, representing 1.73% of all mail ballots returned.
That marks an increase from the 2024 primary, when 108,982 ballots were rejected, or 1.56% of all mail ballots cast.
The largest reason for rejection was ballots arriving too late to qualify under California law.
State data shows that 93,479 ballots were rejected because they failed to meet the state’s deadline requirements.
California allows mail ballots to arrive up to seven days after Election Day, provided they are postmarked on or before Election Day.
Voting experts believe many of the rejected ballots received postmarks dated after Election Day, making them ineligible to be counted even if they arrived within the seven-day grace period.
Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, said the timing of postal processing appears to be a significant concern.
“Ballots rejected due to lateness are caused primarily to being postmarked too late to count, not because they arrived too late to count,” Alexander said.
Election experts have questioned whether recent operational changes within the U.S. Postal Service may be contributing to delayed postmarks.
Earlier this year, a group of mostly Democratic U.S. senators wrote to the Postal Service expressing concern that mail-processing changes could affect ballot handling during federal elections.
Updated Postal Service procedures mean postmarks may reflect when mail is processed at regional facilities rather than when it first enters the mail system.
Because processing centers have been consolidated in some areas, election officials have warned that postmark timing could be affected.
Before the June primary, California election officials encouraged voters to mail ballots as early as possible because of potential postal delays.
The June election also featured a highly competitive race for governor, which some experts believe encouraged many voters to wait until the final days before casting ballots.
In addition to late-arriving ballots, approximately 44,000 ballots were rejected because election officials determined the voter’s signature did not match the signature on file.
Another 8,300 ballots were rejected because the return envelope did not contain a signature.
State records also show that 743 ballots were rejected because those voters had already cast another ballot.
Other rejected ballots involved missing ballots inside return envelopes or multiple ballots submitted in a single envelope.
The highest rejection rate in the state occurred in Tulare County, where 3.52% of returned mail ballots were rejected.
Alpine County and Merced County followed closely, each recording rejection rates of 3.36%.
California has frequently faced criticism for taking weeks to complete vote counting after major elections, largely because state law permits ballots meeting certain requirements to continue arriving after Election Day.
Following the June primary, President Donald Trump again criticized California’s election system, while the Department of Justice opened an investigation into election administration in Los Angeles County.
Election experts emphasize that the increase in rejected ballots should not be interpreted as evidence of widespread voter fraud.
A 2025 report by the Brookings Institution found documented cases of mail ballot fraud remained extremely rare, estimating roughly four cases for every 10 million mail ballots cast, The Associated Press reported.
State officials have not identified evidence of widespread fraud connected to the June primary, but the increase in rejected ballots is expected to receive additional scrutiny as election administrators evaluate whether changes in postal operations, voter behavior or election procedures contributed to the higher rejection rate.
