&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Ayatollah Mojtaba is disfigured and hiding underground': Hegseth claims US struck 15,000 targets in Iran")
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday (Mar 13) claimed, “USA is decimating the Iranian regime,” as the combination of two of the world’s most powerful air forces struck 15,000 enemy targets since the beginning of operations in West Asia.
“Between our air force and that of the Israelis, over 15,000 enemy targets have been struck. That's well over 1,000 a day,” Hegseth told a news conference, adding that Friday would mark the highest volume of strikes yet in the campaign.
Hegseth stated that “Iran has no air defences; their missiles and missile launchers are destroyed,” adding that “their missile power has been reduced by more than 90 per cent,” and that these strikes have destroyed Tehran’s “ability to develop or produce missiles.”
“Iranian leadership are desperate and hiding, gone underground, like that rat used to do,” Hegseth declared, adding that “We know the new so-called, not-so-supreme leader (Mojtaba Khamenei) is wounded and likely disfigured.”
Hegseth further claimed that “Trump holds the cards now,” while top US general Dan Caine, in the press briefing, asserted that after 13 days of operations, “today (Friday) will be the heaviest day of our attack,” as the US is targeting Iran’s “defence and industrial ability” and that Tehran’s combat power continues to decline.
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Iran still has the capability of harming friendly forces and commercial shipping, Caine said in the joint press conference, adding that "US forces are continuing to go after Tehran's mine-laying capabilities."
Contrary to the claims of senior Trump officials, Iran's top leadership, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Ali Larijani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister, and Ahmad-Reza Radan, chief of police, participated in a mass gathering at the Quads Day rally in Tehran on Friday, echoing the defiant rhetoric of the new Supreme leader.
Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a written statement on Thursday and vowed revenge against the United States in retaliation for those killed in the conflict, including his father, Ali Khamenei. However, he has remained in hiding since taking over the leadership, with Iranian officials confirming that the new leader is wounded but providing no further details.
He also issued a stern warning to Gulf Arab countries hosting American forces to close the bases immediately, warning that Iran would continue to strike these installations if they were used for attacks against Iranian territory.
(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)
