Thursday morning news: March 5, 2026

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Iran war-1 » President Trump says Operation Epic Fury in Iran is not just going well, he says it’s going even better than hoped.

TRUMP:  Somebody said, on a scale of 10, where would you rate it? I said, about a 15. And, uh, we're gonna continue to do well. We have the greatest military in the world by far.

Officials insist the military objectives are only on eliminating ballistic missiles, Iran's nuclear program, and its navy – not regime change.

Still, the president says he hopes to see a leader in Iran who is not a violent fanatic, like the late Ayatollah Khamanei. Multiple leaders in the line of succession have been killed in recent strikes.

TRUMP: Everybody that, uh, seems to want to be a leader, they end up dead.

Six U.S. service members have been killed in Iranian attacks launched in retaliation. The White House says the president will attend stateside ceremonies to receive each of their remains.

Iran war-2 » Also on Wednesday, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and the nation’s top general, Dan Caine, updated the media on the military action in Iran.

Caine said the U.S. military spent days targeting anything in Iran that could be used to take down U.S. aircraft. And:

CAINE:  We will now begin to expand inland striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory and creating additional freedom of maneuver for US forces.

In a show of supreme confidence, the U.S. Air Force just began using its oldest bomber, the B-52, in Iran. It’s powerful, but vulnerable. Its deployment signals that the Pentagon is confident it has devastated Iran’s air defenses.

And Hegseth said indeed, the U.S. military is very close to owning skies over Iran.

HEGSETH:  Iranian leaders looking up and seeing only us and Israeli air power every minute of every day until we decide it's over.

And he said there is nothing the Iranian regime can do about it adding that Iran’s capabilities are “evaporating by the hour.”

War powers vote » Meantime, on Capitol Hill:

AUDIO:  On this, the yays are 47, the nays are 53. The motion to discharge is not approved.

The Senate rejected an effort by Democrats to halt the military action against Iran.

Republican Rand Paul and Democrat John Fetterman both crossed the aisle, siding with the opposite party on the vote. Aside from that, it was straight down party lines.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asserts that the White House lacks a clear goal or exit strategy in Iran.

SCHUMER:  The conflict is widening. Oil prices are already skyrocketing. Wars without clear objectives do not remain small. They get bigger, bloodier longer and more expensive.

But Republicans accuse Democrats of putting politics first in their opposition to the mission. Majority Leader John Thune:

THUNE:  In their blind hatred of the president just being opposed to anything that, that he wants to do. I mean, clearly there are Democrats I believe, who understand that what we are doing in Iran right now makes all the sense in the world from a national security standpoint.

Strait of Hormuz, oil prices » Meanwhile, the Trump administration is working on plans to secure the Strait of Hormuz to ensure safe passage for oil tankers.

The strait is one of the world's most critical energy corridors. Iran claims to have control of the strait and has launched attacks on nearby commercial vessels.

But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that's about to change:

LEAVITT: I don't want to commit to a timeline, but certainly it's something that is being calculated actively by both the Department of War and the Department of Energy. They're working very closely. Both secretaries are in all of the briefings on this subject with the President. And this is, again, something they're monitoring. And if and when necessary, the United States Navy, will provide assistance to escort oil tankers through the strait.

President Trump has also ordered the U.S. to provide risk insurance for maritime trade in the Middle East.

Walz, Ellison hearing » The House Oversight Committee met Wednesday, to grill Minnesota officials about rampant Medicaid fraud. Chairman James Comer:

COMER: What we've uncovered in Minnesota is not a paperwork error, or a few bad actors slipping through the cracks. It is sustained failure of leadership.

Republicans picked apart statements from Governor Tim Walz and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, both Democrats about their efforts to investigate misused welfare funds.

The Committee’s investigation pegs nutrition fraud alone at $300 million.

Walz defended the state’s decision to continue payments for autism support and food programs despite reports of fraud.

WALZ: We're not going to shut down programs that have things that are going well in it, and we need to find that proper balance.

The committee wrapped up by voting to subpoena U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi for mixed messages she has sent about handling the Epstein files.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: the government invites Americans to help root out fraud. Plus, who should teach kids about sexuality.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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