
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has made strong statements regarding the state of Iranian military forces, emphasizing that the US has inflicted significant losses on their ranks.
"We have destroyed them. The most important generals cannot communicate or coordinate their offensive. The Iranian air force no longer exists, it was built in 1996 and destroyed in 2026. The Iranian navy is practically sunk in the Persian Gulf, we have decimated their fleet," Hegseth said during a press conference in Washington.
Hegseth added that the results of the US operations indicate a serious blow to Iran's strategic capabilities, affecting both the air force and the navy. According to him, these losses are expected to affect Iran's ability to conduct military operations in the region and will strengthen the US position in the Persian Gulf.
At a press conference at the Pentagon, Hegseth quoted US President Donald Trump as saying:
"There are bigger and bigger waves coming. We're just getting started. We're accelerating, not slowing down."
According to him, the next phase aims for the US and Israeli air forces to take "complete control of Iranian skies", a goal that is expected to be achieved "within a week".
Hegseth added that the operations will focus on: neutralizing Iranian missiles, striking the Iranian military's defense industrial base, and targeting Iranian military leaders. "This was never intended to be a fair match, and it is not a fair match," he declared.
His statements signal a more intense phase of the military operation and increase tensions in the region.