US warns of 'highest volume of strikes' as top Iranian leaders join Tehran march
He also claimed that Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is “wounded” and “likely disfigured”.
The United States will launch what it describes as the highest volume of airstrikes over Iran yet, as the conflict in the Middle East continues to intensify, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a Pentagon briefing, reports BBC.
Hegseth said today, the US military would again conduct the largest wave of strikes against Iranian targets, emphasising that Washington's resolve remains firm. "America's will is unshakeable, our options are maximised and our capabilities are still building," he said.
He added that President Donald Trump would determine the pace and timing of the conflict, saying the president "holds the cards" on how the war proceeds.
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During the briefing, Hegseth also claimed that Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is "wounded" and "likely disfigured," though no independent confirmation of the claim has been provided.
Questioning why Iranian state television recently broadcast only a written statement from Mojtaba rather than video or audio, Hegseth suggested the leader may be hiding due to injuries.
"He is scared, injured and on the run," the defence secretary claimed, adding that the Iranian leader lacks legitimacy.
The Pentagon said the ongoing air campaign is focused on destroying Iran's missile stockpiles and preventing the country from rebuilding its missile and drone production capabilities.
The latest escalation comes as the United States and Israel continue large-scale military operations against Iran that have already hit thousands of targets across the country since the war began late last month.
'No quarter'
During the briefing, Hegseth said that the United States would show mercy in the war, reports Reuters.
"We will keep pressing, keep pushing, keep advancing. No quarter, no mercy for our enemy," Hegseth said.
"No quarter" is the refusal to spare the life of someone who has expressed their intention to surrender - something prohibited by law.
"International humanitarian law prohibits the use of this procedure, that is, ordering that there shall be no survivors, threatening the adversary therewith, or conducting hostilities on this basis," according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Hegseth has moved to reshape the top ranks of the military justice system, replacing the judge advocates general for the Army, Navy and Air Force.
The United States has carried out strikes against more than 6,000 targets in Iran over the past 14 days. Almost two weeks of US-Israeli bombings have killed around 2,000 people in Iran.
But despite the US attacks on Iran, more Iranian drones were reported flying into Kuwait, Iraq, the UAE, Bahrain and Oman.
Additionally, six US service members were killed on Friday when a US military refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, in an incident the US said involved another aircraft but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.
Since the US and Israel started carrying out strikes against Iran on 28 February, 11 US troops have been killed.
