US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned that Tuesday would be the most intense day of bombing in Iran since the start of the war and stated that Tehran's ability to respond has diminished as the offensive, also targeting the Iranian defense industry, progresses.

“Today will be, once again, our most intense day of attacks inside Iran: the most fighter jets, the most bombers, the most strikes,” Hegseth said at a press conference at the Pentagon.

According to the Secretary of Defense, “in the last 24 hours” the Islamic Republic “has launched the fewest missiles it has been capable of so far.”

Since the US and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, the attacks have hit 5,000 targets in Iranian territory, resulting in a “significant advance” in reducing The US military command stated that missile and drone launches originating from Iran continue. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, reiterated that ballistic missile attacks from Iran are “down 90% from when they began, and one-way attack drones are down 83% since the start of the operation.” Caine reported that they have begun targeting “the Iranian military-industrial complex,” focusing on kamikaze drone factories to “destroy the core of its autonomous capability.” Amid Iran’s retaliatory bombings of countries in the region where the US maintains a diplomatic and military presence, the US military chief stated that they continue to use fighter jets and attack helicopters to intercept enemy drones. Asked about the new Iranian Supreme Leader, Mukhta Khamenei, son of the late Ali Khamenei; And regarding reports of his alleged combat injuries, Hegseth declined to comment but did warn that it would be wise for the clergyman to take President Donald Trump's threats seriously and not develop nuclear weapons.

“We are in a very strong position,” the Pentagon chief repeated, although he avoided giving a precise prediction of when the attacks might end.

Last week, Trump and Hegseth himself stated that the operation was progressing faster than they had anticipated and predicted that the war could last from three to eight weeks.

The US president has justified the military offensive by citing Iran's alleged intention to “seize control of the entire Middle East” and has described the country as a “paper tiger” whose defense capabilities have been neutralized.

Hundreds of people have died in Iran as a result of the bombings, including civilians and children. Meanwhile, at least seven US military personnel have died in Iranian attacks since the offensive began. EFE

This news has been tken from authentic news syndicates and agencies and only the wordings has been changed keeping the menaing intact. We have not done personal research yet and do not guarantee the complete genuinity and request you to verify from other sources too.