US Secretary Hegseth: Iranian leader is wounded and likely unrecognizable

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine held a joint press conference at the Pentagon regarding the war with Iran. Opening the press conference by stating that the Iranian military has been defeated in a way the world has never witnessed before, Hegseth said, "The fact that the modern and capable military that Iran once possessed has been destroyed and rendered combat-ineffective so quickly is something that has never been seen before. We said this would not be a fair fight, and indeed, it was not."

Stating that US and Israeli air forces have struck more than 15,000 targets since the beginning of the war, Hegseth said, "This means more than a thousand targets per day."

Hegseth said, "When the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian regime look up, they see only two things above their aircraft: the American flag and the Star of David. The greatest nightmare of the evil regime. Iran has no air defense, no air force, no navy. Its missiles, missile launchers, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being destroyed or shot out of the sky."

Stating that Iran's missile volume has decreased by 90 percent compared to the beginning of the war and that there has been a 95 percent reduction in kamikaze UAV attacks, Hegseth said, "As you can see, they are displaying complete desperation in the Strait of Hormuz. We are dealing with this matter, and there is no cause for concern."

"All defense companies will be destroyed"

Arguing that "the issue is not that Iran no longer has a functional air force, but that it lacks the capacity to produce new weapons," Hegseth said, "Very soon, all of Iran's defense companies will be destroyed. For example, as of two days ago, Iran's entire ballistic missile production capacity, all the companies that produce every part of these missiles, have been effectively defeated and destroyed. Buildings, facilities, and production lines across Iran have been razed. So, we are striking and destroying the missiles still in their inventory. But more importantly, we are completely preventing them from producing new missiles."

"They are hiding like rats"

Arguing that the situation of the Iranian leadership is also not good, Hegseth said, "They are in despair and fear. We know that the so-called supreme, and actually not-so-supreme, Iranian leader is wounded and his face is likely unrecognizable. He released a statement yesterday. It was a weak statement. There was no audio or video. It was just a written statement, and he called for unity."

Hegseth said, "There are plenty of cameras and audio recording devices in Iran. Why did he only release a written statement? You know the reason. His father is dead, he is afraid, he is wounded, and he is on the run. He has no legitimacy. It is a complete mess for them. Who is running Iran? Even Iran itself might not know that."

The US Secretary of Defense said, "We will keep up the pressure. We will continue to advance. There is neither mercy nor compromise for our enemies."

"Once again, the highest volume of attacks will be carried out in Iranian skies"

Stating that the US holds all the cards and that it is US President Donald Trump who will determine the speed, tempo, and timing of the conflict, Hegseth said, "Today, once again, will be the highest volume of attacks the US has ever carried out in Iranian skies. The number of sorties and waves of bombardment will reach the highest level ever, and they will continue to rise."

Stating that the US military is using all the tools at its disposal, from artificial intelligence to cyber capabilities, space systems to electronic warfare tools, and anti-drone systems, Hegseth said, "We are blinding, confusing, and misleading our enemies."

"We will stop at nothing to win"

Arguing that the US's goals are to destroy Iran's missiles and missile launchers, its defense industry infrastructure, and its navy, and to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons, Hegseth said, "We will stop at nothing to win. War is hell, war is chaos. As we saw in the tragic accident our refueling aircraft experienced yesterday, bad things can happen."

"We will not allow commercial flow to be cut off"

When asked at the press conference when the Strait of Hormuz would be operational again, Hegseth replied, "The only thing blocking passage right now is Iran firing on ships."

Stating that Iran is using the Strait of Hormuz, a critical and strategic area, as a tool of pressure, Hegseth said, "We have heard them say they could take various steps regarding this, and we are planning for all of them. We have a plan for every option here. We are working with agencies within the government, and we will not allow this strait to remain contested or commercial flow to be cut off."

"The primary mission is to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons"

When asked about reports that Iran has 440 kilograms of enriched uranium in at least two locations and whether it is possible to complete the mission without bringing this material under control, Hegseth said, "The primary mission is to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. We have options across the entire spectrum to ensure this never happens."

"We do not target civilians"

When asked about an attack on a girls' school in Iran that resulted in the deaths of at least 175 people, mostly children, and whether initial investigation results suggest the US carried out the attack, Hegseth replied, "We will not allow ourselves to be guided by press reports on such a serious matter."

Hegseth said, "There is only one side in this conflict that never targets civilians, and that is us. We do not target civilians. We will conduct the investigation, we will uncover the facts, and we will share them when we are ready."

He said that escorting ships in the Strait of Hormuz is "planned"

Regarding allegations that Iran has placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Hegseth said, "We have heard them talk about this, but there is no clear evidence of it."

When asked why escorting ships in the Strait of Hormuz has not begun despite claims that the US military has achieved air and naval superiority over Iran, Hegseth said, "We have planned it, but we want to do it in a phased manner. We are choosing the most logical timing to achieve our goals. The Strait of Hormuz has been a subject we have been paying attention to from the beginning. The American people can be sure that our interests will be protected."

Caine: "CENTCOM continues to strike ballistic missile and UAV capabilities"

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine began his statement by addressing the KC-135 refueling aircraft crash in Iraq, saying, "The incident occurred in a friendly-controlled area in western Iraq. The crew was conducting a combat mission. As stated by the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the incident was not the result of enemy or friendly fire. We are still conducting an active search and recovery operation. As announced this morning, four airmen have been rescued, and updates will be provided as new information becomes available."

Regarding US military activities in the region, Caine said, "As the Secretary said, today will be our most intense day of attacks across the theater of operations. CENTCOM continues to strike ballistic missile and UAV capabilities."

Stating that the Iranian navy is also continuing to be destroyed, Caine said, "This means targeting Iran's sea-mining capacity and eliminating its ability to attack commercial ships. We are also targeting their defense industry infrastructure."

"We rendered the Iranian navy combat-ineffective in less than two weeks"

Arguing that they have struck more than 6,000 targets in Iran and that Iran's combat power continues to decline, Caine said, "We have conducted an unprecedented number of flights over Iran. CENTCOM is now constantly over the enemy. As a result, we have seen a decrease in missile attacks and kamikaze UAV attacks. We rendered the Iranian navy combat-ineffective in less than two weeks. We continue to strike naval vessels, and this includes all of the 'Soleimani'-class warships equipped with anti-ship missiles and air defense weapons."

Caine said, "We have made progress, but Iran still has the capacity to harm friendly forces and commercial ships."

Stating that Iran continues to block commercial passage through the straits, Caine said, "We have made targeting Iran's sea-mining capacity a priority. We are targeting mine-laying ships, naval bases, and depots. We are also striking missile systems that could affect the strait."

News Source: 12punto