QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) \u2013 US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth affirmed on Thursday that the United States does not intend to expand the scope of its military targets inside Iran, as ongoing joint US-Israeli operations continue against Iranian positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In statements made on Thursday, Hegseth emphasized that the current US military strategy has defined objectives, stressing that Washington knows precisely what it seeks to achieve through the ongoing operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The current US military strategy has defined objectives,” Hegseth said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US Department of Defense previously announced that the military campaign, named “Epic Fury,” focuses on targeting Iranian offensive missiles, their production facilities, and naval capabilities, as part of efforts to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a related context, US President Donald Trump said in a telephone interview with Reuters that the United States should have a role in determining Iran’s future leadership. Hegseth considered that Trump has an “influential word” in this file amid the developments of the military operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The region has witnessed military escalation since the start of the US-Israeli campaign last Saturday, with strikes targeting multiple sites inside Iran, while Tehran responded with attacks in several regional countries aiming to raise the cost of confrontation for the United States, Israel, and their allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iranian attacks included targets in several countries, including Israel, the UAE, and Qatar. Firefighting teams in Bahrain brought a fire under control at an oil refinery following a missile attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, Azerbaijan accused Iran of launching drones toward its territory, leading it to close its airspace in the southern regions for 12 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hegseth suggested that Iran’s targeting of regional countries could push these nations toward closer ties with the United States, considering these developments could enhance what he described as “unity of effort” to confront Iranian threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the US military, American forces have struck more than 2,000 targets inside Iran, including military facilities and warships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
US Central Command Commander Brad Cooper said American forces destroyed 30 Iranian warships, including a drone carrier, during recent operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cooper added that current operations also aim to undermine Iran’s ability to rebuild its military capabilities, noting that the next phase will see systematic efforts to dismantle Iran’s missile production system, a process that may take time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, the US Army announced the death of six reserve soldiers in a drone attack targeting a US military facility at Kuwait’s al-Shuayba Port.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump and US officials have warned of a potential rise in casualties among American forces as the confrontation continues. Hegseth said Tehran is mistaken if it believes Washington is incapable of continuing the fight, adding that what is currently happening represents the “beginning of the conflict.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Tehran is mistaken if it believes Washington is incapable of continuing the fight. What is happening now represents the beginning of the conflict,” Hegseth added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) \u2013 US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth affirmed on Thursday that the United States does not intend to expand the scope of its military targets inside Iran, as ongoing joint US-Israeli operations continue against Iranian positions. In statements made on Thursday, Hegseth emphasized that the current US military strategy has defined objectives, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":136002,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pgc_sgb_lightbox_settings":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[39,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home","category-middle-east"],"yoast_head":"\n