U.S. War Secretary: 'We Will Bomb Key Facilities in Iran Tonight'

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U.S. War Secretary: 'We Will Bomb Key Facilities in Iran Tonight'

Eliahu Amar | Yesterday 23:45

Heading into another dramatic night, U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived at the headquarters of U.S. Central Command in Florida and said a short time ago tonight, between Wednesday and Thursday, that “the strikes against Iran tonight will be clear and powerful. We will bomb key facilities in Iran.”

President Trump convened a meeting in the Situation Room after earlier saying in a conversation with reporters: “We will attack Iran very hard. We hit them hard yesterday, and we will hit them again today.” Reports from Iran say there were explosions and that air defense systems were activated on Kish Island.

A short time ago, against the backdrop of tensions ahead of a possible American strike on Iran, the U.S. Embassy in Iraq issued an unusual warning to its citizens, calling on them to maintain a high level of alert and to follow local media reports closely. The statement said that disruptions to civilian flights and even closure of airspace could occur at short notice, and that the American travel advisory for Iraq remains at level 4, the highest level. The embassy again stressed that U.S. citizens should avoid all travel to the country, and called on those already there to leave Iraq immediately.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that over the past month he had ordered the American military to carry out a covert operation designed to ensure the safe passage of oil tankers and commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz. According to him, the operation led to the transfer of more than 100 million barrels of oil through the strait to the global market, while more than 200 commercial ships completed their route safely. In a post on his social network, Trump claimed that “the United States of America controls the Strait of Hormuz, not Iran,” and added that the Iranian military is “defeated” and that the country’s economy is “lost.” The American president presented the operation as a major strategic success for Washington, and ended with a sharp message to Tehran: “It’s over for Iran.”

Earlier, Trump issued another threat toward Iran, declaring that he had ordered the U.S. military to prepare for another powerful wave of strikes expected to take place as soon as today. “What do you mean they will pay a price? We will attack them very hard. We hit them hard yesterday, and we will hit them again today,” the president said in a conversation with reporters at the White House. Trump claimed that Washington and Tehran had been on the verge of signing a deal, but accused the Iranian leadership of deliberately wasting time. “We were really close to a deal, but they keep dragging us along and making fools of us. They took too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price,” he wrote earlier in an official statement. In an interview with Fox News, the president added that he is considering ordering strikes on strategic targets such as power stations and bridges.

According to Trump, Iran’s military capabilities have been worn down to the bone: “A large part of their navy and air force no longer exists, they are completely defeated. Iran is only talking, the bully of the Middle East is finished.” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reinforced his words, saying: “It would not be wise for Iran to challenge us. The president wants a great deal that will ensure Iran never acquires nuclear weapons.”

The president linked the current escalation to the downing of an American Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz, an incident that led to overnight exchanges of blows. Trump revealed details of the incident: “We were very lucky. A bomb got stuck in the helicopter and did not explode. The helicopter was already burning, and the two pilots were very skilled but also lucky.” He made clear that given the damage to the “outstanding” aircraft, the United States has every right to respond militarily.

At the same time, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released footage of paratrooper forces training with live fire in the Middle East, and reported the completion of a three-wave operation that struck Iranian air defense systems and radar sites threatening shipping lanes.

As of now, Tehran is refusing to be impressed by the threats. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared that “any aggression will be met with a firm and immediate response.” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian tried to project resilience alongside a desire for diplomacy: “We must get out of the state of ‘neither war nor peace.’ If they want to attack, we will not bend. Iran will not surrender.”

However, the conservative newspaper Kayhan, close to the supreme leader, took a much more hardline stance and called for activating the “Hormuz trigger mechanism,” using control of the strait to stop the flow of global energy as leverage against sanctions.

Alongside the tensions, a Qatari mediation team arrived in Tehran today in a desperate attempt to revive the contacts and prevent a slide into full-scale war. In the midst of the barrage of statements, Trump also addressed warnings from Turkish President Erdogan regarding Israeli strikes in Syria and Lebanon. Trump dismissed the possibility of a confrontation between Israel and Turkey: “It will not happen as long as I am president. Erdogan is my friend, he respects me and I respect him. If I heard about such a threat, I would call him and make sure everything worked out.”

Despite the harsh tone Trump is trying to project, skeptical voices are being heard in Israel. Military commentator Noam Amir argued that the abundance of contradictory statements has eroded American deterrence: “A statement by the president no longer shakes the markets or moves anyone. That is what happens when you issue four different statements in one day.” Political commentator Tamir Morag added that “Trump is seen as unreliable by the Iranians, and Israel and the United States are not rushing to escalate for real.”