Defense officials say a new wave of coordinated strikes will intensify efforts to degrade Iran’s missile, drone, and naval capabilities.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that U.S. forces were preparing to carry out what he described as the most aggressive phase of the current military campaign targeting Iran’s military infrastructure, signaling a significant escalation in the pace and scale of American air operations.
Hegseth made the remarks during a Pentagon briefing alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, where both officials outlined the strategic goals and battlefield impact of the ongoing U.S.-led operation.
The defense secretary said the next round of attacks would expand the scope of the campaign, with American forces prepared to strike multiple targets across Iranian territory.
“Today will be the most intense day of bombing so far,” Hegseth said, explaining that the operation would involve a high volume of coordinated strikes against military sites connected to Iran’s offensive capabilities.
According to Hegseth, the primary objective of the campaign is to dismantle Iran’s ability to launch missile and drone attacks while preventing the country from advancing toward nuclear weapons capabilities. Pentagon officials have described the operation as a focused military effort aimed at degrading key components of Iran’s defense infrastructure.
He said the strikes planned for Tuesday would concentrate on missile systems, naval assets, and weapons production facilities believed to be central to Iran’s ability to project military power across the region.
Hegseth told reporters that U.S. forces have already made measurable progress toward those objectives since the start of the operation.
Gen. Caine provided additional operational details during the briefing, saying that Iran’s offensive capabilities have been sharply reduced as a result of the sustained air campaign.
According to Caine, the frequency of Iranian ballistic missile launches has declined by approximately 90 percent since the strikes began, while drone attacks have fallen by more than 80 percent following coalition strikes against key infrastructure.
Caine said the level of resistance from Iranian forces has so far aligned with what military planners anticipated at the outset of the campaign.
“They’re fighting, and I respect that,” Caine said. “I don’t think they’re more formidable than we thought.”
The chairman said U.S. forces have also targeted naval equipment and weapons manufacturing facilities during the operation, including sites connected to missile and drone production.
He added that dozens of Iranian ships have been destroyed in the course of the campaign, dealing a significant blow to Tehran’s naval capabilities and limiting its ability to sustain military operations at sea.
Despite the expansion of the airstrikes, Hegseth emphasized that the United States is not pursuing regime change in Iran. He described the operation as a limited military campaign designed to neutralize specific threats rather than initiate a prolonged war.
The briefing came as tensions continued to rise across the Middle East, where Iranian forces have launched missile and drone attacks against Israel and several Gulf states. The growing confrontation has raised concerns about broader regional instability and has contributed to volatility in global energy markets.
Hegseth said U.S. military operations will continue until Iran’s capacity to threaten neighboring countries and regional shipping lanes has been substantially reduced.
He added that the duration of the campaign will ultimately depend on whether U.S. strategic objectives are achieved.
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