War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that American forces were preparing to launch what he called the most powerful round of strikes so far in the ongoing military campaign targeting Iran.

Hegseth delivered the remarks during a Pentagon briefing alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine.

According to Hegseth, the upcoming phase of the operation will significantly increase both the scope and the tempo of the air assault that has been underway since the United States began leading attacks against Iranian military infrastructure.

He explained that Tuesday’s strikes are intended to further damage Iran’s missile capabilities, naval assets, and weapons manufacturing facilities.

“Today will be the most intense day of bombing so far,” Hegseth said, emphasizing that U.S. forces were prepared to carry out a large number of coordinated strikes across multiple targets inside Iran.

Hegseth told reporters that the campaign — which the Pentagon has described as a focused military effort — aims to dismantle Iran’s ability to launch missile and drone attacks and prevent the country from advancing toward nuclear weapons capabilities.

He insisted the United States is making significant progress in achieving those objectives.

Caine then outlined the military results of the operation to date, stating that Iran’s offensive capacity has been dramatically weakened since the campaign began.

According to Caine, Iranian ballistic missile launches have dropped by roughly 90% and drone attacks have declined by more than 80% as coalition forces have targeted key military infrastructure.

Caine said Iran’s military response so far has not exceeded what U.S. officials expected when the campaign began.

“They’re fighting, and I respect that,” he said. “I don’t think they’re more formidable than we thought.”

Caine said U.S. forces have also struck naval assets and weapons manufacturing sites, including missile and drone production facilities, as part of a broader effort to limit Iran’s ability to sustain attacks across the region.

He added that the campaign has already destroyed dozens of Iranian ships and significantly weakened Tehran’s naval operations.

Even as the air campaign intensifies, Hegseth stressed that the United States is not attempting to topple Iran’s leadership, describing the mission as a limited military operation rather than a war aimed at regime change.

The Pentagon briefing came amid a widening regional confrontation. Iran has fired missiles and launched drones toward Israel and several Gulf countries, heightening concerns that the conflict could spread further across the Middle East while also shaking global energy markets.

Hegseth said the United States intends to continue the offensive until Iran’s ability to threaten the region is substantially diminished, noting that the duration of the campaign will depend on when U.S. strategic goals are met.

{Matzav.com}