Pete Hegseth Vows Escalation As US Launches ‘Most Intense Day Of Strikes’ On Iran; Tehran’s Weapon Use Drops To 10-Day Low
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday that American forces would carry out their most intense wave of strikes against Iran yet, even as Tehran recorded its lowest level of weapons deployment since Washington initiated military operations ten days ago.
Speaking at a Pentagon news conference on March 10, Hegseth stated, “Today will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran.”
General Dan Caine offered a broader operational picture, noting that Iran’s ballistic missile attacks had dropped sharply. “Ballistic missile attacks continue to trend downwards, 90% from where they started, and one-way attack drones have decreased 83% since the beginning of the operation,” Caine said.
Despite the declining Iranian response, Hegseth reaffirmed that the US military campaign would intensify, with Tuesday’s operations set to surpass any previous day of strikes since the conflict began.
On the question of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Hegseth issued a pointed warning. “It would be wise to heed the words of our president not to pursue nuclear weapons,” he said.
Addressing the broader scope and duration of the military campaign, Hegseth pushed back against characterizations of a prolonged conflict. “This is not endless, this is not protracted,” he stated, while stopping short of placing the war on any defined timeline. “It’s not for me to posit whether it’s the beginning, middle or the end — that’s up to him,” Hegseth said, referring to President Donald Trump.