BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 10. March 10 will be the “most intense day” of strikes on Iran, the U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, Trend reports.
He made the announcement at a press conference on the US military operation “Epic Fury” against Iran.
The Pentagon chief stated that Iran had suffered heavy losses.
Hegseth also noted that the number of missiles launched from Iran in the last 24 hours was at its lowest level.
He stated that the post-war structure of Iran should take into account the interests of the U.S. and completely eliminate missile threats and nuclear blackmail.
Furthermore, the Pentagon chief added that the U.S. doesn't intend to live under the threat of nuclear blackmail or missiles that could be directed at its citizens and the country's allies in the Middle East. According to him, this is what the U.S. and Israel take into account when choosing targets within the framework of the operation against Iran.
On February 26, the 3rd round of talks between Iran and the United States regarding Iran’s nuclear program took place in Geneva. Conducted under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the meeting was seen as the last opportunity to resolve the escalating situation through diplomatic channels. However, no concrete agreements were reached.
Two days later, on February 28, the United States and Israel launched a coordinated military campaign targeting Iran’s strategically significant military facilities and key state leadership. Israel named the operation “Operation Lion’s Roar,” while the United States called it “Operation Epic Fury.” The strikes covered broad swaths of Iran, including major cities such as Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, and Qom.
In retaliation, Iran initiated “Operation True Promise 4,” striking back at Israel and U.S . military bases across the region, including Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iraq, using ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The February 28 airstrikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and his family. Senior officials, including the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Army, Major General Abdul Rahim Mousavi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Mohammad Pakpour, the Supreme Leader’s advisor and Secretary of the Defense Council, Ali Shamkhani, and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, were also killed.
From March 1 through 5, the conflict escalated further, drawing in multiple countries across the Middle East. Iran launched hundreds of missiles and UAVs, while the United States and Israel targeted additional military sites within Iran. According to U.S. Central Command, Iran deployed approximately 500 ballistic missiles and 2,000 UAVs in the initial days of the confrontation.
The conflict extended to the naval domain on March 4, when a U.S. Navy nuclear submarine torpedoed the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, signaling a new phase of hostilities at sea.
On March 8, Iran’s Assembly of Experts unanimously elected Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader, as the country’s third Supreme Leader.
Recent reports indicate that at least seven U.S. service members were killed and several others injured in Iranian strikes on U.S. and allied facilities. Six fatalities occurred in a drone attack on a U.S. base in Kuwait, and one service member succumbed to injuries sustained in Saudi Arabia.
The ongoing conflict has significantly threatened the region’s energy infrastructure and maritime transport. Oil prices have surged on global markets due to heightened security tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, prompting several countries to advise their citizens to leave the region.
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