Pete Hegseth | East County Magazine

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, in press conference today

March 2, 2026 (San Diego) – The U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in Operation “Epic Fury” which began Saturday are believed to have killed 49 senior Iranian officials, including the Ayatollah Khomeini, according to the White House. The USS Abraham Lincoln and stealth bombers based at Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego were among the U.S. forces involved in the strikes.