U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that the next phase will be pivotal, pointing to field developments he described as decisive in the confrontation with Iran, amid ongoing and expanding military operations.
Hegseth stated: “The coming days will be decisive, and Iran knows it.”
He added: “U.S. forces have more than 11,000 targets, and we have achieved air superiority that allowed us to use B-52 bombers.”
He continued: “We destroyed more than 150 Iranian vessels, including all Jamaran-class frigates.”
He noted that: “Our campaign against Iran’s industrial base includes research and development laboratories and infrastructure.”
He also said: “Nearly all of Iran’s defense industrial capabilities have been destroyed.”
He revealed: “We destroyed a command bunker in Iran and carried out 200 dynamic strikes in the last night alone.”
He stressed: “I am not prepared to withdraw U.S. forces from the fight at this time.”
Regarding the political track, he said: “Talks with Iran are real, serious, and ongoing, according to briefings I received from Witkoff, Kushner, and Rubio.”
He added: “Iranian capabilities are declining, and our Central Command confirms there is a leadership gap.”
He continued: “In recent hours, we have seen the lowest number of missiles launched by Iran.”
In a related context, he explained: “Responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz does not rest solely on the U.S. Navy.”
He concluded by noting: “We are not seeing many images from inside Iran due to the internet shutdown.”
