Hegseth: strikes on Iran had been ‘unimaginable and overwhelming success that devastated Iran’s nuclear program’
US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth has mentioned the strikes on Iranian nuclear websites had been an “unimaginable and overwhelming” success that “devastated” the nation’s nuclear program.
At a press convention at The Pentagon, Hegseth mentioned the “precision strikes” had been “targeted, highly effective and clear”.
He mentioned the operation solely focused Iranian nuclear websites, moderately than Iranian troops or civilians.
He mentioned: “Final evening on President Trump’s orders, US central command performed a precision strike in the midst of the evening towards three nuclear amenities in Iran … so as to destroy or severely degrade Iran’s nuclear program.
“It was an unimaginable and overwhelming success. The order we acquired from our commander in chief was targeted, it was highly effective, and it was clear. We devastated the Iranian nuclear program.”
Key occasions
Following JD Vance’s earlier feedback to NBC (see post), the US vice chairman has additionally been speaking to ABC, telling the broadcaster that US air strikes on Iran had considerably delayed its nuclear programme, however Individuals weren’t at warfare with the nation itself.
He mentioned
“I don’t wish to get into delicate intelligence right here, however we all know that we set the Iranian nuclear program again considerably final evening, whether or not it’s years or past.
We’re not at warfare with Iran – we’re at warfare with Iran’s nuclear programme. And I feel the president took decisive motion to destroy that programme final evening.”
The UN safety council will meet in a while Sunday – on the request of Tehran – after the US strikes, diplomats mentioned. We are going to convey you extra on this when we now have it.
Our graphics group have produced this interactive displaying the impact of the strikes on Iran’s Fordow facility.
Following the US in a single day assaults on its nuclear amenities, Iran responded with additional strikes towards Israel. The information wires are carrying some photos of the influence.
Iran mentioned its information within the nuclear discipline “can’t be destroyed” after the US strikes on Sunday.
“They need to know that this business has roots in our nation and the roots of this nationwide business can’t be destroyed,” mentioned Atomic Power Group of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, in keeping with Tasnim information company in feedback reported by Agence France-Presse.
He added:
In fact, we now have suffered injury, however this isn’t the primary time that the business has suffered injury.
Iran’s parliament approves strait of Hormuz closure
Iran’s parliament has reportedly accepted the closing of the important thing strait of Hormuz transport lane.
Reuters reported Iran’s supreme nationwide safety council will make the ultimate choice on the transfer, which might hamstring world commerce by shutting the slim passage between Iran and Oman.
The choice to shut the strait, via which about 20% of world oil and gasoline demand flows, is just not but ultimate.
Nonetheless in keeping with Reuters, lawmaker and Revolutionary Guards Commander Esmail Kosari advised the Younger Journalist Membership on Sunday that doing so is on the agenda and “will probably be performed every time crucial.”
The UK Maritime Commerce Operations (UKMTO) mentioned it was assessing the risk to US industrial transport within the Pink Sea and Gulf of Aden, close to Iran, as “excessive”.
Whereas Pete Hegseth and Gen Caine had been talking, US vice-president JD Vance was speaking to broadcaster NBC.
Vance mentioned the US needs to pursue a diplomatic course of in Iran. He mentioned the US had efficiently set again Iran’s nuclear weapons program, including that President Donald Trump now hopes to pursue a diplomatic answer.
“We don’t wish to protract this or construct this out any greater than it’s already been constructed out. We wish to finish their nuclear program,” Vance mentioned, talking on NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker, Reuters experiences.
“We wish to speak to the Iranians a few long-term settlement right here,” he added.
He additionally advised NBC he didn’t imagine the battle with Iran would change into a protracted warfare, mentioned the US had no real interest in sending additional US troops to the Center East, and added the US didn’t wish to see regime change in Iran.
Gen Dan Caine, essentially the most senior US army official, praised the degrees of secrecy and “operational safety” over the assault.
Caine mentioned he was happy with the “self-discipline” of these concerned in planning Operation Midnight Hammer, and mentioned particulars had been stored to a small group of individuals.
It comes almost three months after claims that secretary of defence Pete Hegseth, who Caine spoke alongside on the Pentagon on Sunday morning within the US, leaked details of a bombing operation on Yemen in group chats.
Caine mentioned: “I’m notably happy with our self-discipline associated to operational safety, one thing that was of nice to concern to the president, the secretary, Gen Kurilla and me, and we’ll proceed to deal with this.”
He had mentioned the decoy efforts had been identified “solely to a particularly small numbers of planners and key leaders in Washington and in Tampa”.
Strikes hit targets and destroyed capabilities at enrichment plant- Hegseth
Pete Hegseth mentioned the influence of the air strikes was nonetheless being assessed, however that the bombing had hit the areas that had been recognized within the planning of the operation.
Hegseth mentioned: “The battle injury evaluation is ongoing, however our preliminary evaluation because the chairman mentioned is that every one of our precision munitions struck the place we wished them to strike, and had the specified impact.
“Which implies successfully in Fordow, which was the first goal right here, we imagine we achieved destruction of capabilities there.”
Hegseth: ‘mission not about regime change’
Responding to questions from reporters on the Pentagon, secretary of defence Pete Hegseth mentioned the strikes didn’t have regime change in thoughts, and President Trump had given Tehran “each alternative” to have a negotiated settlement.
Hegseth mentioned: “This mission was not, and has not been, about regime change. The president authorised a precision operation to neutralise the threats to our nationwide pursuits posed by the Iranian nuclear program and the collective self-defence of our troops and our ally Israel.”
He later added: “Because the president has directed and made clear, that is most actually not open ended. It doesn’t imply it limits our capacity to reply, we’ll reply if crucial.”
In response to a different reporter, Hegseth mentioned: “[Trump] was absolutely dedicated to the peace course of, wished a negotiated consequence, gave Iran each single alternative and sadly was met by stonewalling, which is why he gave them loads of time to proceed to return to the desk and quit enrichment, hand over the nuclear program.”
He advised reporters each “non-public and public” messages had been being despatched to Iranians “giving them each alternative to return to the desk”.
He added: “They perceive exactly what the American place is, exactly what steps they’ll take to permit for peace, and we hope they achieve this.”
US army chief warns Iranian retaliation can be an ‘extremely poor selection’
The US most senior army official has warned strongly towards any retaliation from Iran, as he gave particulars of the strikes towards Iran within the early hours of Sunday morning.
Talking at a press convention on the Pentagon alongside secretary of defence Pete Hegseth after Operation Midnight Hammer, the chairman of the joint chiefs of employees Gen Dan Caine mentioned: “Our forces stay on excessive alert, and are absolutely postured to reply to any Iranian retaliation or proxy assaults which might be an extremely poor selection. We are going to defend ourselves. The security of our service members and civilians stays our highest precedence.”
Caine mentioned the assault was the most important B2 strike in historical past, and was met by no Iranian resistance, both from floor to air missiles or from fighter jets. He advised reporters some planes had been nonetheless within the air as he spoke on Sunday morning from the east coast of the US.
He mentioned the US used deception manoeuvres into the Pacific on the early phases of the operation, and later with jets flying forward of the principle assault group, to permit jets to get to the three nuclear websites in Iran.
He mentioned 14 30,000lb Mops (huge ordinance penetrator) bombs had been used on two nuclear websites, the primary time they’ve been deployed.
Seven B2 spirit bombers had been deployed on the principle operation to Iran, flying eastwards from continental US, he advised reporters.
In addition to the bombs being dropped by the US air drive, a US submarine launched greater than 24 Tomahawk land assault cruise missiles on targets at Isfahan Gen Caine confirmed.
The complete operation concerned greater than 125 US plane, he added.
“This was a posh and excessive threat mission carried out with distinctive ability and self-discipline by our joint drive,” he mentioned.
Hegseth: ‘When Trump speaks the world ought to pay attention’
US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth praised President Trump’s management, and mentioned he had overseen the “obliteration” of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Hegseth mentioned: “Many presidents have dreamed of delivering the ultimate blow to Iran’s nuclear program, and none might till President Trump.
“The operation President Trump deliberate was daring and it was sensible, displaying the world that American deterrence is again. When this President speaks, the world ought to pay attention, and [with] the US army, we are able to again it up.”
He mentioned the B2 bomber mission was the longest distance since 2001, and it was the primary deployment of the MOP (huge ordinance penetrator) bomb.
Hegseth added: “As President Trump has acknowledged, the US doesn’t search warfare, however let me be clear, we’ll act swiftly and decisively when our folks, our companions or our pursuits are threatened. Iran ought to take heed to the president of the US and know that he means it, each phrase.”
Hegseth: strikes on Iran had been ‘unimaginable and overwhelming success that devastated Iran’s nuclear program’
US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth has mentioned the strikes on Iranian nuclear websites had been an “unimaginable and overwhelming” success that “devastated” the nation’s nuclear program.
At a press convention at The Pentagon, Hegseth mentioned the “precision strikes” had been “targeted, highly effective and clear”.
He mentioned the operation solely focused Iranian nuclear websites, moderately than Iranian troops or civilians.
He mentioned: “Final evening on President Trump’s orders, US central command performed a precision strike in the midst of the evening towards three nuclear amenities in Iran … so as to destroy or severely degrade Iran’s nuclear program.
“It was an unimaginable and overwhelming success. The order we acquired from our commander in chief was targeted, it was highly effective, and it was clear. We devastated the Iranian nuclear program.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused the US of being the “foremost trigger” behind Israel’s assaults on Iran, in keeping with feedback reported by Al Jazeera.
Pezeshkian accused the US of being the liable for Israel’s actions in direction of Iran.
“Though they initially tried to hide their position, after the decisive and deterrent response of our nation’s armed forces and the commentary of the Zionist regime’s [Israel’s] apparent incapability, they inevitably got here to the fore,” he mentioned, referring to the US.
He mentioned regardless of the losses suffered by the nation, it was now time to put aside variations and “activate the good capacities of the folks”.
