U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks at the "Shield of the Americas" Summit in Miami, Florida, on Mar. 7. Reuters-Yonhap
Reports of widespread destruction across Iran emerged on Tuesday as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the day would bring the "most intense" strikes against the Islamic Republic since the war began.
"We will not relent until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated," Hegseth said.
"Today will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran. The most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes, intelligence more refined and better than ever," he said.
He noted that the last 24 hours had "seen Iran fire the lowest number of missiles they've been capable of firing yet."
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine, the country's highest-ranking military officer, said U.S. forces are also "making substantial progress toward destroying the [Iranian] navy."
He said that more than 50 ships had been destroyed, and that the focus was now on minelaying vessels and weapons depots.
Iran reported heavy airstrikes on multiple targets across the country on Tuesday. According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, 40 people were killed in eastern parts of Tehran alone.
State media reported strikes on residential areas in northern, western and eastern Tehran as well as in the suburb of Mehrshahr.
Other targets reportedly included the Haghani port area in Bandar Abbas in southern Iran and a police station in Isfahan in central Iran.
Source: Korea Times News
