U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared during a Pentagon briefing that the United States will not relent in its campaign against Iran until the adversary is “defeated fully and decisively.” He announced new, intensified military strikes inside Iranian territory, describing Tuesday as “once again our most intense day of strikes” against the country.
A Campaign on America’s Terms
Hegseth echoed recent remarks by former President Donald Trump—who described the conflict as “very full, nearly complete” and stated, “We’ve already won in many ways—but we haven’t won enough.” Referring to Trump’s assessment, Hegseth said: “As the president stated yesterday, we are crushing the enemy with a crushing display of technical capability and military power—but we’re doing it on our timeline and according to our choices.”
Nuclear Ambitions and Isolation
Addressing Iran’s nuclear program, Hegseth warned that Tehran is “racing toward a nuclear bomb”—a development he said Trump “will never allow.” He asserted that Iran stands “alone and losing state by state,” emphasizing that U.S. operations aim not only to degrade Iran’s missile and naval capabilities but also to “permanently deny Iran nuclear weapons—forever.”
‘No Retreat Until Total Defeat’
In a direct message to Iran’s leadership, Hegseth stated: “We will not back down until the enemy is defeated fully and completely.” He added that Iranian leaders are now “desperate and panicked” as the conflict enters its second week.