Trump calls Strait of Hormuz 'something that we don't need'

The U.S. and Israel have struck over 15,000 targets in Iran since the beginning of their joint military operation, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters Friday.

The U.S. is "decimating" the Iranian military, leaving it with no air defenses, no navy and no air force, according to Hegseth.

"We're shooting down and destroying what missiles they still have in stock, but more importantly, ensuring that they have no ability to make more. Their production lines, their military plants, their defense innovation centers: defeated," Hegseth said at a Pentagon briefing.

President Donald Trump said that the United States is “totally destroying the terrorist regime of Iran, militarily, economically, and otherwise,” in a post on social media Friday.

“Iran’s Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones and everything else are being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth,” Trump said in his post on Truth Social early Friday. “We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time.”

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that one French soldier was killed and several others were injured after an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq.

Macron identified the soldier as Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion of the 7th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins from Varces.

"To his family, to his brothers in arms, I want to express all the affection and solidarity of the Nation," he said in a statement.

The soldier's death marks the first French casualty since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began late last month.

Macron said French troops' presence in Iraq "is part of the strict framework of the fight against terrorism."

"The war in Iran cannot justify such attacks," he said.

A U.S. refueling aircraft "went down" in friendly airspace in western Iraq, with rescue efforts ongoing, U.S. Central Command said Thursday.

"Two aircraft were involved in the incident," CENTCOM said in a brief statement. "One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely."

The incident resulted in the loss of a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft, CENTCOM said. The other aircraft involved was also a KC-135 tanker, according to a U.S. official.

"This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire," CENTCOM said.