Pete Hegseth: US will continue operation against Iran until its defeat

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth stated that the United States did not intend to end the joint operation with Israel against Tehran until Iran was "totally and decisively defeated." He made the remarks at a joint press conference with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine.

Hegseth said that the US would not back down until the enemy was fully and finally defeated, but that American forces would operate on their own timeline and by their own choosing. He did not specify the stage of the operation, noting only that American forces were executing missions with relentless precision. He added that they were winning through overwhelming focus on objectives, which remained the same as during his first briefing on Operation Epic Fury.

He also said that Tuesday would be the most intensive in terms of strikes on Iranian territory, involving the most fighter jets, bombers, and strikes, with intelligence more precise than ever. According to him, over the past 24 hours, Iran had launched the fewest missiles since the start of the war, with missile strikes down by approximately 90% and drone strikes by approximately 83%, leaving Iran isolated and suffering a crushing defeat.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that the US had practically achieved the objectives of the operation against Iran and promised a swift conclusion of military operations.