US defense secretary suggests Thursday will be ‘largest strike package yet … death and destruction from above’
The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said on Thursday there is no “timeframe” for ending the US war against Iran and did not deny reports that the Pentagon could seek an extra $200bn in taxpayer funding.
The military US-Israeli offensive began three weeks ago and continues to widen. Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to “massively blow up” the world’s biggest gasfield after Israeli strikes on the Iranian site prompted Tehran to escalate strikes on oil and gas facilities around the Persian Gulf.
Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Hegseth suggested that Thursday would bring the biggest US onslaught so far. “To date, we’ve struck over 7,000 targets across Iran and its military infrastructure,” the defense secretary said. “Today will be the largest strike package yet … death and destruction from above.”
Even as oil prices soar and the US president’s approval rating plummets further, Hegseth declined to offer an exit plan. “We wouldn’t want to set a definitive timeframe,” he said, adding that “we’re very much on track” and Trump will be the one to decide when to stop.
