Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday mentioned, “At the moment will probably be, but once more, our most intense day of strikes inside Iran.”
“Iran stands alone, and they’re badly shedding on Day 10 of Operation Epic Fury,” Hegseth mentioned at a press convention on the Pentagon with Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees.
US Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks throughout a press convention on US army motion in Iran, on the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on March 2, 2026.
Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty Photos
Hegseth mentioned that previously 24 hours, the US had seen “Iran fireplace the bottom variety of missiles they have been able to firing but,” at the same time as he condemned Iran for attacking its Gulf neighbors, a few of whom it had been allied with prior to now, with out provocation from these nations.
He vowed the U.S. would ship “probably the most fighters, probably the most bombers, probably the most strikes” towards Iran on Tuesday.
“We’re crushing the enemy in an amazing show of technical ability and army power,” he mentioned. “We won’t relent till the enemy is completely and decisively defeated.”
Hegseth’s aggressive and assured feedback echoed these made a day earlier by President Donald Trump to reporters at his Miami-area golf membership.
Trump had predicted that warfare would finish “very quickly,” as a result of the destruction of Iranian army belongings was occurring a lot quick than he anticipated when assaults started by the US and Israel on Feb. 28.
He additionally warned Iran’s ruling regime towards withholding oil from world markets after the warfare.
“If Iran does something that stops the move of Oil inside the Strait of Hormuz, they are going to be hit by the US of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they’ve been hit up to now,” Trump wrote later Monday night time in a Fact Social put up.
Hegseth, who initially had predicted that the warfare may final between three to eight weeks, instructed reporters on Tuesday that Trump now “will get to regulate the throttle” for the tempo of the warfare, including that the president is “the one deciding … after we’re reaching explicit aims.”
“And so it is not for me to posit whether or not it is the start, the center, or the tip,” Hegseth mentioned. “That is his, and he’ll proceed to speak that.”
As Hegseth spoke, authorities in Abu Dhabi confirmed {that a} drone assault by Iran had ignited a hearth on the oil refinery within the Ruwais Industrial Advanced. No accidents had been instantly reported.
Trump instructed Fox Information in an interview on Monday night that he’s “not joyful” that Iran picked Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme chief, to interchange his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the warfare.
“I do not imagine he can dwell in peace,” Trump mentioned of Mojtaba Khamenei.
Trump additionally instructed Fox that “it is potential” he could be keen to talk with Iran’s leaders.
“I am listening to they wish to speak badly,” he mentioned.
At his press convention on Tuesday, Hegseth mentioned of Khamenei, “He could be smart to heed our president and never pursue nuclear weapons.”
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