Hegseth threatens ‘most intense day of strikes’ as Iran war injures about 140 Americans

WASHINGTON— Nearly 140 American service members have been injured since the start of the Iran war, eight of whom were “severely injured” and receiving medical care, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

“The vast majority of these injuries were minor and 108 service members have already returned to duty,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. he said.

The casualties add to the seven American soldiers killed so far in the war, which has entered its 11th day as U.S. officials say military action is likely to intensify.

It was reported that Iran also took new actions that could escalate the conflict by laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz; This is a potentially disruptive development for the global energy market.

President Trump said that if Iran planted mines in the strait and did not immediately remove them, the US military would strike Iran “at a level never seen before.”

“On the other hand, if they remove things that may have been placed, that would be a giant step in the right direction!” Trump wrote at Truth Social.

The warning was yet another escalation after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday would bring “the most intense day of attacks” on Iran; it was a war tempo that contradicted Trump’s assessment that the war was “very complete” and could end “very soon.”

At a news conference at the Pentagon, Hegseth said “the most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes” would be deployed, but he declined to say how long U.S. forces would be expected to fight in the region. Instead, he said, the president would be “the person who will control the gas.”

“Whether this is the beginning, the middle or the end is not for me to say. He will continue to tell about it,” Hegseth told reporters.

This reverence puts the focus squarely on Trump; The day before he had given mixed signals about the duration of the war, telling reporters at one point that the conflict was “largely completed” and later that it was “the beginning of building a new country.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing on Tuesday that the US military is “well ahead of schedule” in achieving its goals in Iran, but reiterated that only the president will decide what victory looks like.

“President Trump will determine when Iran surrenders unconditionally and no longer poses a credible and direct threat to the United States and our allies,” Leavitt said.

The president’s shifting positions on the outcome of the war have resulted in Trump threatening to hit Iran “twenty times harder” if it tries to stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for the world’s oil supply, and with Democrats in Congress saying they are growing concerned about the possibility of Trump sending U.S. ground troops to Iran.

“We appear to be on track to put American troops on the ground in Iran to accomplish any of the potential targets there,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told reporters after receiving a briefing on the Iran war.

Asked about Democrats’ concerns, Leavitt said Trump “wisely…didn’t rule out options to become commander in chief.”

“I would hesitate to endorse anything a Democrat says right now about the president’s thinking,” he added.

US says Iran’s firepower is decreasing

The war shows little sign of slowing down as Washington plans its next steps. US military officials say Iran’s military capabilities have been eroded by sustained attacks that target “deeply buried missile launchers” and have made “significant progress towards destroying” Iran’s navy.

“In the last 24 hours, Iran appears to have fired the least amount of missiles it has ever fired,” Hegseth said.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters that Iran’s ballistic missile attacks “continue to decrease by 90 percent” since the beginning of the war, while drone attacks have decreased by 83 percent.

Caine said US forces are also targeting Iran’s industrial base “to prevent the regime from attacking Americans, our interests and our partners for years to come.”

Caine said the Iranian military has adapted to the US strategy but remains confident in Washington’s ability to defeat Tehran. “Of course, they are adapting, as are we. We have some very enterprising war warriors out there,” he said. “We watch what they do and adapt faster than they do.”

Asked whether Iran was a stronger enemy than expected, Caine said: “They are fighting, and I respect that, but I don’t think they are any tougher than we thought.”

Meanwhile, Iran has refused to give in to Trump’s demands and has issued its own warnings.

Iran’s top national security official, Ali Larijani, called Trump’s threat to the Strait of Hormuz “empty” and said he should not be “eliminated” and should instead fend for himself.

However, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagir Qalibaf said Iran was determined to continue fighting and was “absolutely not seeking a ceasefire.”

“We believe that the aggressor should be punched in the mouth so that he learns a lesson and never thinks of attacking our beloved Iran again,” Qalibaf said.

New attacks on neighbors

Meanwhile, Iran launched new attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries. Authorities in Bahrain said that a 29-year-old woman was killed and eight people were injured in Iran’s attack on a residential building in the capital Manama.

Saudi Arabia announced that it destroyed two unmanned aerial vehicles in the oil-rich eastern region, while the Kuwaiti National Guard shot down six unmanned aerial vehicles. Firefighters in the United Arab Emirates fought a fire in the industrial city of Ruwais, home to petrochemical facilities, after Iran’s drone attack. No injuries were reported.

Explosions could be heard in Tel Aviv as Israel’s defense systems worked to block dams from Iran.

In addition to launching missiles and drones at Israel and American bases in the region, Iran also targeted energy infrastructure and traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway vital for oil trade, causing oil prices to rise. The attacks appear to be aimed at creating enough global economic pain to pressure the United States and Israel to halt their attacks.

Brent crude, the international standard, fell after rising to nearly $120 a barrel on Monday but was still around $90 a barrel on Tuesday; this was almost 24% higher than on February 28, when the war began.

“The president and his energy team are monitoring the markets closely, speaking with industry leaders, and the U.S. military is preparing additional options in line with the president’s directive to continue keeping the Strait of Hormuz open,” Leavitt said. “I won’t publish what those options look like, but know that the president is not afraid to use them.”

So far, the president has offered to have the U.S. Navy escort oil tankers.

The White House insisted that rising gas prices were temporary, but the shock to energy markets prompted the Trump administration to lift oil-related sanctions on some countries, including Russia.

“We will lift these sanctions until this situation gets better,” Trump said Monday. “And then who knows, maybe we won’t have to wear them because there will be so much peace.”

The war created an opportunity for Russia to make gains in Ukraine; as hostilities divert global attention away from Kiev and Russia’s struggle to hold back the massive Russian army continues. US-brokered talks between the two foes have been set aside as Washington shifts its focus to the war in Iran.

As Russia reaps economic gains from the energy crisis caused by war in the Middle East, Russian President Vladimir Putin is gathering forces for a renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine.

Key air defense systems have already been diverted from Ukraine to the Persian Gulf, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sent drone interceptors to the region and ordered anti-drone experts to return from their war with Russia to help Western allies thwart Iranian attacks.

“Currently the priority and full attention of partners is focused on the situation around Iran.” Zelensky said about X:. “We see that the Russians are trying to manipulate the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region in favor of their own aggression.”

Times writers Gavin J. Quinton and Michael Wilner in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report, which also included reporting from the Associated Press.