US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has vowed to maintain and intensify military pressure on Iran, declaring that the ongoing campaign is not intended to be a fair fight and promising sustained operations in the coming days.
Speaking at the Pentagon alongside General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Hegseth stated that US and Israeli forces are securing uncontested airspace over Iran. This development, he said, will enable around-the-clock strikes targeting Iranian missile systems, defense infrastructure, and military leadership.
Hegseth confirmed that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean using a torpedo, describing it as the first sinking of an enemy vessel by torpedo since World War II. The vessel was identified as the IRIS Dena. The Sri Lankan government earlier confirmed that approximately 180 people were on board. Sri Lankan military officials reported rescuing at least 30 survivors from the sinking ship near Sri Lankan waters, with additional reports indicating dozens of fatalities and bodies recovered.
Hegseth emphasized that starting from the previous night and expected to be completed within a few days—in under a week—the two most powerful air forces in the world would achieve complete control of Iranian skies, described as uncontested airspace. He explained that this means US and allied aircraft would operate day and night to locate, target, and destroy Iranian missiles, the defense industrial base, and military leaders.
“We’re playing for keeps,” Hegseth said. He noted that US warfighters have maximum authorities granted personally by the president and himself, with bold, precise rules of engagement designed to unleash American power rather than restrict it.
Hegseth reiterated that the campaign was never meant to be fair and is not a fair fight, adding that forces are “punching them while they’re down, which is exactly how it should be.” He described the current intensity as seven times that of Israel’s previous operations against Iran during a 12-day war. Citing President Donald Trump, he said more and larger waves are coming, with the US accelerating rather than decelerating efforts.
The statements come amid the ongoing US-Israeli military operation against Iran, now in its early days, focused on degrading Iranian military capabilities.