The United States is preparing for its heaviest round of military attacks yet as the conflict involving Iran continues to escalate.
Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that American forces would launch their most intense day of strikes since the war began.
Speaking during a press conference at the Pentagon alongside Dan Caine, Hegseth said the military campaign is entering a critical stage.
“Today will be our most intense day of strikes inside Iran,” Hegseth told reporters.
The comments come on the tenth day of the U.S. military campaign known as Operation Epic Fury.
US Expands Military Pressure on Iran
Hegseth said U.S. forces plan to increase the scale of their attacks using additional aircraft, bombers, and missile strikes.
According to the defense secretary, the operation is focused on three primary objectives.
The first objective is to destroy Iran’s missile stockpiles and its ability to produce additional weapons.
The second goal is to neutralize the country’s naval capabilities, which Washington views as a threat to international shipping routes in the region.
The final objective is to permanently prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
“We’re sending the most fighters, the most bombers, and the most strikes,” Hegseth said. “We will not relent until the enemy is decisively defeated.”
Pentagon Claims Iran’s Missile Attacks Are Declining
Hegseth also said that Iranian missile activity appears to be slowing.
During the past 24 hours, the United States observed what he described as the lowest number of missile launches Iran has carried out since the conflict began.
He criticized Iran for targeting Gulf nations that had not previously engaged in hostilities.
Several of those countries were historically aligned with Tehran before the conflict escalated.
The Pentagon said the declining missile activity may signal weakening military capabilities after days of intensive bombardment.
Trump Warns Iran Over Oil Supply Threats
Donald Trump delivered a similar message a day earlier while speaking to reporters.
Trump warned Iran not to interfere with global oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly one fifth of the world’s oil supply.
“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States twenty times harder than they have been hit thus far,” Trump wrote in a message on his Truth Social platform.
The warning reflects growing global concerns that disruptions in the strait could trigger major energy price spikes and economic instability.
Trump previously predicted that the conflict could end quickly due to the destruction of Iranian military infrastructure.
Iran Leadership Change Adds New Uncertainty
The war has also coincided with a major leadership transition inside Iran.
Mojtaba Khamenei was recently named supreme leader after the death of his father, Ali Khamenei.
Trump criticized the appointment, saying he does not believe Mojtaba Khamenei will be able to lead the country peacefully.
The new leader now controls Iran’s armed forces and nuclear program decisions, making his leadership central to the conflict’s future direction.
Trump Controls the Pace of the War
Hegseth said the ultimate timeline for the war will depend on decisions made by the president.
“The president controls the throttle,” he said, explaining that Trump will determine when the United States has achieved its military objectives.
The defense secretary declined to speculate whether the conflict is nearing its end or still in its early stages.
Regional Tensions Continue to Rise
As the Pentagon announced its intensified strikes, authorities in Abu Dhabi reported a new attack linked to the conflict.
Officials confirmed that a drone strike believed to be launched by Iran ignited a fire at an oil refinery in the Ruwais Industrial Complex.
No injuries were immediately reported, but the incident highlighted the widening geographic impact of the war.
With the Iran war US strikes entering their most aggressive phase, global markets and regional governments are watching closely to see how the conflict develops in the coming days.
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