US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned that Tuesday would be the most intense day of bombing in Iran since the start of the war and stated that Tehran's ability to respond has diminished as the offensive, also targeting the Iranian defense industry, progresses.

“Today will be, once again, our most intense day of attacks inside Iran: the most fighter jets, the most bombers, the most strikes,” Hegseth said at a press conference at the Pentagon.

According to the Secretary of Defense, “in the last 24 hours” the Islamic Republic “has launched the fewest missiles it has been capable of so far.”

“We are in a very strong position,” the Pentagon chief repeated, although he avoided giving a precise prediction of when the attacks might end.

Last week, Trump and Hegseth himself stated that the operation was progressing faster than they had anticipated and predicted that the war could last from three to eight weeks.

The US president has justified the military offensive by citing Iran's alleged intention to “seize control of the entire Middle East” and has described the country as a “paper tiger” whose defense capabilities have been neutralized.

Hundreds of people have died in Iran as a result of the bombings, including civilians and children. Meanwhile, at least seven US military personnel have died in Iranian attacks since the offensive began. EFE