Stephen Miller appeared on Fox News with Laura Ingraham on March 18 to discuss the ongoing U.S. military campaign in Iran, highlighting what he described as unprecedented progress in a matter of days. Miller framed the operation as a decisive, phased effort under President Trump’s leadership, aimed at neutralizing the Iranian regime’s military capabilities and securing strategic objectives in the region.
.@StephenM: "What would normally be considered months or even years to achieve these military objectives instead have been achieved in a matter of days… The hands of our warriors are not tied in getting up and going after the objective and going after the objective ruthlessly." pic.twitter.com/I8VYALTyfw
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 18, 2026
Responding to a question about the length of the campaign, Miller emphasized speed rather than delay. “You’re talking about what would normally be considered months or even years to achieve these military objectives instead have been achieved in a matter of days because under the leadership of President Trump and then of course with Secretary Hegseth of the Department of War, we are not fighting a politically correct battle. The hands of our warriors are not tied in getting up and going after the objective and going after the objective ruthlessly because this is war and in a war you have to fight totally. We have seen the leadership of this regime completely decapitated and obliterated. We have seen the IRGC dealt one humiliating blow after another. Their navy is in the bottom of the ocean. Their air force is in rubble. Their ballistic missile program has been annihilated and is getting further annihilated every single day. This is a phased operation phase by phase, step by step, objective by objective. The president is achieving his goals.”
No other nation possesses the combination of stealth aircraft, precision-guided munitions, and logistical capacity deployed in Operation Epic Fury. Assets in the operation include B-2 stealth bombers, B-1 and B-52 heavy bombers, F-22 and F-35 fighters, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines, as well as state-of-the-art electronic warfare and reconnaissance platforms.
The campaign as of March 18th has included over 7,800 targeted strikes and 8,000 combat flights, resulting in the destruction or severe damage of more than 120 Iranian naval vessels. Targets have focused on command centers, IRGC headquarters, missile and drone facilities, air defense systems, and military production sites. Miller described the operation as meticulously phased, achieving each objective in sequence while systematically weakening Iran’s ability to threaten U.S. and allied interests.
Miller emphasized the broader strategic significance of the campaign, including securing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and countering Iran’s energy blackmail. He described the U.S. military effort as “better positioned than any nation in the world to take on this battle,” underscoring both the operational planning and technological advantages that have allowed U.S. forces to dominate quickly and decisively. He also framed the campaign as part of a larger effort to limit Iran’s regional influence and prevent the regime from acquiring nuclear capabilities.
Concluding his remarks, Miller reiterated that the campaign’s objective is the complete neutralization of the Iranian regime’s military power. He asserted that President Trump’s leadership has enabled rapid and overwhelming success, ensuring that Iran can no longer threaten the United States or its allies. According to Miller, the phased operations, combined with unmatched U.S. capabilities, have transformed what could have been a protracted conflict into a swift and highly effective campaign.