Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared Tuesday that the 11th day of America’s war against Iran would see the “most intense day of strikes” yet against the Islamic Republic — and added that the conflict will wrap up “on our timeline.”
“We are winning with an overwhelming and unrelenting focus on our objective,” Hegseth declared during a press conference at the Pentagon, reiterating that those aims were to destroy Iran’s missile stockpiles, missile launchers and the ability to make them; destroy Tehran’s navy; and “permanently deny Iran nuclear weapons.”
Promising that Tuesday “will be, yet again, our most intense day of strikes inside Iran,” the secretary insisted that the US “will not relent until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated, but we do so on our timeline and at our choosing.”
To illustrate US dominance over the battlefield, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted that ballistic missile attacks from Iran on other Middle Eastern states had dropped 90% from the beginning of Operation Epic Fury Feb. 28, while the number of one-way attack drone strikes from the regime has plummeted by 83%.
Additionally, more than 50 Iranian ships have been damaged or destroyed, according to Caine.
Explore More
Ohio State prez put his $1.5M job, 45-year marriage on the line over ‘inappropriate relationship’ with podcaster
Girl, 12, dies after savage fight with fellow student at school bus stop: ‘Oh my God, Jada!’
Ohio State president resigns after revealing ‘inappropriate relationship’ with a woman
“We’re crushing the enemy in an overwhelming display of technical skill and military force,” Hegseth boasted. “… The most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes, intelligence more refined and better than ever.
“On the other hand, the last 24 hours have seen Iran fire the lowest number of missiles they’ve been capable of firing.”
US forces have prioritized Iran’s ballistic missile stockpiles and are working to degrade the regime’s military industrial capacity, including its drone factories, Caine explained.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the United States’ airstrikes on Iran:
- Follow live updates on the US and Israel’s war with Iran
- Black clouds, massive fireballs fill Tehran skies following Israeli strikes on oil storage sites
- Senior Iranian leader issues chilling warning to Trump following continued US-Israeli air strikes: ‘He must pay the price’
- ‘Central’ Iranian airport targeted in massive attack after Trump warned of ‘complete destruction’
- Iran’s favored next supreme leader wounded in Israeli air attack: reports
The strikes on Iran’s fleet are also meant to protect shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil travels each year.
Hegseth, a veteran of the Iraq War, noted at the start of the briefing that Operation Epic Fury “hits home” for him, given that he lost comrades to Iran-funded IED attacks at the height of the anti-US insurgency two decades ago.
The Pentagon chief once again contrasted the current military campaign against Iran with the drive to overthrow Saddam Hussein and establish democracy in Baghdad.
“This is not 2003. This is not endless nation-building under those types of quagmires we saw under Bush or Obama. It’s not even close,” Hegseth stressed. “Our generation of soldiers will not let that happen again.
