The United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, stated on Tuesday (the 31st) that the conflict with Iran could intensify if Tehran refuses to negotiate, adding that the coming days will be decisive for the conflict. At a press briefing at the Pentagon, alongside the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, he stressed that President Donald Trump remains open to a deal.
“Trump is willing to strike a deal with Iran,” said Hegseth. According to him, however, the alternative is a military escalation. “If Iran is not willing to make a deal, the U.S. will launch even more intense bombardments,” he said, emphasizing that “without a deal, the war will intensify even further.”
Hegseth also stated that a regime change has occurred in Iran and said he hoped the new leadership would be “wiser than the previous one.” He also stated that “there is nothing that Iran can do” to prevent the advance of American operations in the short term and that the attacks continue to cause mass destruction in the Persian nation.
In the same briefing, General Dan Caine detailed the U.S. military’s actions, stating that the forces continue to strike 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 American Navy is focused on neutralizing Iran’s ability to launch sea mines and stated that more than 150 vessels of the Iranian Navy have already been destroyed. He indicated that the campaign seeks to significantly reduce the operational capacity of the Iranian forces.
