Public opinion about President Donald Trump’s military operation in Iran could be improving, with a new poll showing 56% of likely voters support the targeting of Iranian leadership. Trump has made many pitches to the American people about his objectives in Operation Epic Fury, including taking more than 20 reporter phone calls, deploying Cabinet officials to explain the war’s rationale, and holding two White House press calls explaining why the war was necessary. A March 3 OnMessage poll showed 56% of likely voters support the targeting of Iranian leadership, and 63% of likely voters support the targeting of Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile capacity. In both cases, more than 90% of Republicans are aligned in supporting Trump’s actions. About 45% of likely voters approve of President Trump overall, according to OnMessage, a similar level as in other poll. How ver, yet 53% agree with the statement, “Even if I don’t agree with President Trump on other issues, I think he’s right to help free citizens from oppressive governments, like Iran’s and Venezuela’s, that take away rights from their own people.” A March 3 Fox News poll also showed improvement in public opinion, with 50% of voters approving of the military operation and 50% disapproving. According to the Fox poll, 84% of Republicans supported military action. A Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Sunday said only 27% of Americans approved of the U.S.-Israeli bombing of Iran. A CNN poll released March 2 said nearly 6 in 10 Americans disapproved of the operation, fearing long-term military conflict. Part of the administration’s messaging strategy has been combatting such concerns by comparing the operation’s length to the Iraq War. Vice President JD Vance said Trump will not “allow” the war to go on for multiple years, and Hegseth said the conflict will not be “endless.” The vast majority of voters see Iran as a “a threat to global peace and democracy.” Over 75% of likely voters agreed that “if Iran built a nuclear weapon, they would pose a direct threatto the United States,” according to OnMessage. Similarly, the Fox News survey found 61% think Iran poses “a real national security threat” to the United States. In the current environment, 52% of likely voters supported the immediate and full funding of the Department of Homeland Security, which is currently partially shut down. The post Polls Suggest Public Opinion Improving Over Iran Operation appeared first on The Daily Signal.

REUTERS–A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, killing dozens of sailors and dramatically widening Washington’s pursuit of the Iranian navy. Sri Lanka’s deputy foreign minister identified the warship as the frigate IRIS Dena, and said it was heading back to Iran from an eastern Indian port. The attack happened hundreds of miles across the Indian Ocean from the Gulf, where U.S. and Israeli forces are striking Iran and Tehran is retaliating with missile and drone attacks. “An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at the Pentagon. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death.”      Hospital authorities in the Sri Lankan port city of Galle said 87 bodies were brought in by military rescuers who responded to an early morning distress call. Another 32 were rescued and were being treated at hospital and about 60 people were likely unaccounted for from an estimated 180 people on board, Sri Lankan authorities said. ‘PEOPLE WERE FLOATING IN THE WATER’ A Pentagon video purporting to have captured the attack showed the warship being hit by a huge explosion which blew apart the rear of the vessel, lifting it from the water, and caused it to begin sinking from the stern. The exact date when the video was filmed and the type of warship could not be verified. However, the deck shape and mast of the vessel in the video matched file imagery of the same type of warship as the IRIS Dena. The Iranian vessel had taken part in a naval exercise organised by India in the Bay of Bengal from Feb. 18 to 25, according to the drill’s website. Sri Lanka said it had launched a search-and-rescue operation to locate survivors after receiving a distress call. Sri Lankan navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said boats that reached the location observed only an oil slick, adding that although the incident took place outside Sri Lankan waters, Colombo was still committed to providing support.  “We found people floating in the water and rescued them,” Sampath told reporters. “Later on, we found upon inquiring that they belonged to the Iranian ship.” Rescuers brought bodies, covered in white sheets, in batches in a truck to the Karapitiya hospital in Galle where they were moved to the morgue. The commander of the warship and some senior officers were among the survivors and they told the Sri Lankan navy that they were hit by a submarine attack, two Sri Lankan sources told Reuters. SHIP TOOK PART IN NAVAL DRILL ORGANISED BY INDIA  The website of the ‘Milan’ biennial multilateral naval exercise organised by India listed the ‘IRINS Dena’ as having taken part in the drill, which was held in the Bay of Bengal off India’s eastern coast.  IRIS – or Islamic Republic of Iran Ship – is the more commonly used prefix for Iranian naval vessels, while IRINS – or Islamic Republic of Iran Naval Ship – is sometimes used. “Indian Navy welcomes IRIS Dena, of the Iranian Navy, on her arrival at #Visakhapatnam … reflecting long-standing cultural links between the two nations,” the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy said in a post on X on Feb. 17 along with pictures of the warship and some of its officers. An Indian Navy spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment after the Dena was sunk. Originally published by Reuters The post US Sub Sinks Iranian Warship off Sri Lanka, Killing 87 and Expanding War Zone appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The Pentagon has released four of the six names of service members killed during Operation Epic Fury. “It’s with profound sadness and gratitude that I share the names of four of our six fallen heroes, all from the 103rd Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Reserve out of Des Moines, Iowa,” Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine said at a Pentagon press conference Wednesday morning. “To the families of our fallen, we grieve with you today, and we look forward to welcoming your family members home to Dover [Air Force Base] in the coming days,” Caine said. Gen. Dan Caine: "It's with profound sadness and gratitude that I share the names of four of our six fallen heroes, all from the 103rd Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Reserves out of Des Moines, Iowa:Capt. Cody KhorkSgt. 1st Class Noah TietjensSgt. 1st Class Nicole AmorSgt.… pic.twitter.com/T0oOmjwu8D— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 4, 2026 The four fallen soldiers are: Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida (U.S. Army Reserves) Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska (U.S. Army Reserves) Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota (U.S. Army Reserves) Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa (U.S. Army Reserves) The four soldiers were killed on Sunday in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, during an unmanned aircraft system attack, and the “incident is under investigation,” the Pentagon said. The names of the other two slain soldiers are being withheld until their families are notified. “As one nation, we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives,” President Donald Trump said during a recent video message shared on social media. “We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen, and sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,” Trump said. The U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury with Israel on Saturday, targeting Iran’s nuclear capabilities, military assets, and key leaders. Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some of his family members were killed in the strikes. About 100 hours into the operation, U.S. Central Command announced nearly 2,000 targets had already been struck in Iran. The post Names of 4 Fallen US Soldiers Released appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The United States is close to achieving “complete control” of Iranian airspace, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth claimed at a press briefing at the Pentagon on Wednesday morning. “Starting last night and to be completed in a few days in under a week, the two most powerful air forces in the world [the United States and Israel] will have complete control of Iranian skies, uncontested airspace,” Hegseth announced as part of his update to the press on Operation Epic Fury. https://t.co/PiqQpVIrMu pic.twitter.com/Wc1e0B0um7— Department of War ?? (@DeptofWar) March 4, 2026 Hegseth explained that this means American pilots will be flying “all day, all night, day and night, finding, fixing, and finishing the missiles and defense industrial base of the Iranian military.”  Hegseth described this Air Force mission as “death and destruction from the sky.”  America’s aerial campaign against Iran has involved B2’s, B52’s, B1’s, predator drones, and fighter jets. “Flying over Tehran, flying over Iran, flying over their capital, flying over the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] Iranian leaders looking up and seeing only US and Israeli air power, every minute of every day, until we decide it’s over and Iran will be able to do nothing about it,” said Hegseth.   PETE HEGSETH: Iranian Leader Will Look up an Only See US And Israeli Airpower Every Minute of Every Day@SecWar Pete Hegseth delivers opening remarks at a press briefing in the Pentagon this morning as Operation Epic Fury enters its fourth day:“Starting last night and to be… pic.twitter.com/bSeT0f0ETb— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) March 4, 2026 Hegseth also claimed that more bombers and fighters are arriving, or have arrived, to the Middle East today. While Congress floats a supplemental funding package to reinforce the military operation, Hegseth claimed that the U.S. has “nearly unlimited stockpiles” and can “sustain this fight easily.” “We’ve taken control of Iran’s airspace and waterways without boots on the ground,” said Hegseth. There are still questions of whether the operation can be successful without putting troops on the ground, members of congress spoke out yesterday fearing it might be inevitable.   Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., spoke to press yesterday after a closed-door briefing from the administration, “I am more fearful than ever after this briefing that we may be putting boots on the ground and that troops from the United States may be necessary to accomplish objectives that the administration seems to have.” The post US Looks to Gain ‘Complete Control’ of Iran’s Skies appeared first on The Daily Signal.

House Republicans on Wednesday grilled Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison about the state’s $9 billion fraud scandal and allegations that whistleblowers faced retaliations. The hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee comes a day after the panel released a report alleging that Walz and Ellison were aware of welfare fraud in the state, but failed to act to prevent it. Walz defended the continued welfare payments despite suspicions of widespread fraud.  “We are not going to stop payments to feeding children,” Walz said.  Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the committee’s chair, replied, “You didn’t stop payments because you didn’t want to rock the boat.” Walz said, “That’s not correct.” The governor added that a federal funding freeze due to the fraud scandal means, “400,000 children without health care.” Comer replied, “That is your fault.” He then referenced allegations of retaliation against whistleblowers in state offices. “That is not correct. Minnesota has strong whistleblower protections,” Walz said.  House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said to Ellison that “millions of Americans, have grave concerns over your alleged relationships with Somali fraudsters.” Ellison either didn’t answer questions, or gave deliberate responses to Emmer. Emmer reclaimed his time when he determined answers weren’t fruitful. In the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, a Minneapolis nonprofit exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the pandemic by falsely reporting food distribution sites. Nearly 80 people have been charged for the scheme. Emmer brought up a video of Ellison’s meeting with the charity at the center of the scandal in December 2021, where in response to complaints about lack of funding from the state’s Education Department, Ellison said, “I’m here to help.” He also said he would “demand some explanations” from the department. He noted that after the FBI opened an investigation into Feeding Our Future in September 2022, an Ellison press release said the office was deeply involved for two years in holding the charity accountable.  “So, according to your office, sir, you have been deeply involved in the Feeding Our Future case since September of 2020,” Emmer said. “That actually sounds like you were saying that at the time of your infamous meeting, with the Somali fraudsters, you were already aware of the allegations of fraud.” Ellison replied, “Rep. Emmer, as you know, I have addressed this issue many times.” Ellison has previously said he thought he was only meeting with constituents, and that he took no actions to help the Feeding Our Future organization.   This is a developing story. The post Walz Defends Continued Welfare Payments During Fraud Probe appeared first on The Daily Signal.