United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, stated this Tuesday (31) that the conflict with Iran could intensify if Tehran does not agree to negotiate, adding that the next few days will be decisive for the conflict. At a press conference at the Pentagon, alongside the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, he highlighted that President Donald Trump remains open to an agreement.
“Trump is willing to make a deal with Iran,” Hegseth said. According to him, however, the alternative is a military escalation. “If Iran is not willing to make a deal, the US will launch even more intense bombings,” he said, stressing that “without an agreement, the war will intensify even more.”
Hegseth also declared that a regime change has occurred in Iran and said he hopes the new leadership will be “wiser than the previous one.” He further stated that “there is nothing Iran can do” to prevent the advancement of American operations in the short term and that the attacks continue to cause mass destruction in the Persian country.
At the same press conference, General Dan Caine detailed US military action, stating that forces continue to target key manufacturing and research facilities in Iran. According to him, the attacks aim to destroy the country’s ballistic missile capabilities.
Caine added that the US Navy is focused on neutralizing Iran’s ability to lay sea mines and said that more than 150 Iranian Navy vessels have already been destroyed. He indicated that the campaign seeks to significantly reduce the operational capacity of Iranian forces.
