Pete Hegseth says “the next few days will be decisive” in the fight against Iran
Washington – Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, announced in a press conference on Tuesday “the coming days will be decisive” fight against Iran.
“Iran knows that, and there’s almost nothing they can do militarily about it,” Hegseth said.
The Secretary of Defense said that “America’s firepower is increasing,” while saying that Iran is “declining.”
“In just one month – just one month – we set goals,” Hegseth said.
President Trump told CBS News’ Weijia Jiang On Tuesday morning he was not “slightly” ready to give up on the request to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Mr. Trump reiterated his frustration that other countries did not send military equipment to join the US-Israel war with Iran, saying “countries should step in and take care of it.”
In a letter he wrote on social media early Tuesday, Mr. Trump urged other countries, such as the United Kingdom, to “go get your own oil”. which controls the Strait of Hormuz.
“I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy in the US, we have a lot, and Number 2, build up the delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT. You will have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the USA will no longer be there to help you, just as you were not with us,” wrote Mr. Trump.
On the Strait of Hormuz, Hegseth said the president was “clear on Iran, ‘open it up for business or we have options,’ and we’re doing that.”
Hegseth said that “there are more ships flowing today than there were” in the Strait of Hormuz, but there are few ships that have been tracked passing through the Strait of Hormuz and leaving Iranian ports or broadcasting that they are transporting food “as we are not there to inspect the cargo and the actual locations.”
Hegseth echoed the president’s words on Truth Social on Tuesday, saying “there are countries around the world that should be ready to step in on this important waterway as well.”
Hegseth said on Tuesday that Mr. Trump indicated that “you don’t have an alliance if you have countries that are not willing to stand with you when you need them.”
Hegseth also called the UK, saying “the last time I looked, there had to be a big, bad Royal Navy that would be ready to do things like that.”
More broadly, Hegseth said “if Iran is smart, it will cut the deal.” He said the president is willing to make a deal, and the terms of the deal are known to the Iranian people. If not, Hegseth said the US will “proceed with great force.”
In the middle criticism from some Democrats as to whether there are talks with Iran, Hegseth said the talks are “very real.” He called the speeches “effective and, I think, empowering.”
“We would very much like to get a deal. If Iran was willing to give up what it has and what it wants, open the strait – that’s the goal,” Hegseth said. “We don’t want to do more militarily than we have to do. But I didn’t mean it suddenly when I said that at the moment, we will negotiate with the bombers.”
The Secretary of Defense said “the main effort is the agreement.”
Caine said “our joint forces continue to focus on our military objectives as we continue to systematically degrade and destroy Iran’s ability to generate energy and threaten stability beyond its borders.” He reiterated that the US remains focused on destroying Iran’s missile and Unmanned Aircraft Systems capabilities, as well as the systems’ supply chains.
The forum arrived a few hours later An Iranian drone shot down a Kuwaiti oil tanker from Dubaiattacks on power targets such as the average price of gasoline in the US has increased over $4 a gallon.
“A large Kuwaiti crude oil tanker was directly attacked by Iranians while it was in the anchorage of Dubai Port in the UAE,” KUNA media reported, citing Kuwait’s state-owned oil company. The Kuwaiti Very Large Crude Oil Carrier (VLCC) Al-Salmi was the target, according to state media.
Gasoline prices in the US continued to rise this week, with the average price of a liter reaching $4 a liter for the first time since August 2022. Gasoline prices rose from the US and Israel first invaded Iran on February 28jumping more than a dollar per liter in the past month, data from AAA showed.
White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said in a statement on Tuesday that “gasoline prices will drop back to the multi-year lows that American drivers enjoyed before this temporary disruption” when the Iran war ends. Leavitt added that Mr. Trump is “willing to fully unleash American power.”
Mr. Trump on Monday renewed his calls to attack Iran’s energy and water infrastructure if no deal is reached to end the war.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command said that early Tuesday Commander Adm. Brad Cooper met with the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir in Israel on Sunday and Monday.
“The two leaders discussed the progress made during the ongoing activities to eliminate Iran’s ability to produce energy by reasonable means outside its borders,” the CENTCOM statement said. “They reaffirmed the strength of the US-Israeli defense relationship and emphasized the importance of continued cooperation. Before leaving the region, Cooper visited with US troops deployed in multiple locations in support of Operation Epic Fury.”
