US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth has claimed that the US and Israel have achieved major military success in their offensive, collectively hitting over 15,000 targets in Iran.
Giving a press conference in Arlington, Virgina about the ongoing war, Hegseth asserted, “We’re on plan to defeat, destroy and disable all of their meaningful capabilities.”
The US Defence Secretary vowed that the US will “keep pressing” forward in the war, adding that “today will yet again be the highest volume of strikes that America has put over the skies of Iran and Tehran.”
He stated that the volume of Iranian missile and drone strikes is down over 90 percent. He stressed that on top of intercepting Iranian missiles, the US and Israel are targeting Iran’s defence manufacturing sites.
“We’re shooting down and destroying what missiles they still have in stock. But more importantly, ensuring they have no ability to make more.”
Pete Hegseth
Hegseth said that media reports that the US underestimated the war’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz are baseless.
Responding to a reporter’s question about the status of a US investigation into an attack on an Iranian girls’ school that killed more than 170 people on the first day of the war, Hegseth said that US Central Command has tapped an outside officer to lead the probe.
“I can report that CENTCOM has designated an investigating officer to complete a command investigation. The command investigation will take as long as necessary to address all the matters surrounding this incident and the investigating officer is from outside CENTCOM and is a General Officer.”
Pete Hegseth
Also at the press conference, US Air Force General Dan Caine said that US forces are continuing to target Iran’s mine-laying capabilities. He disclosed that Iran still had the capacity to harm commercial shipping and US-allied forces.
He added that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is continuing to develop and is a tactically complex environment. Asked about US casualties, he remarked that the “large majority who have gone in for medical treatment” had returned to duty.
Four Dead After US Refuelling Plane Crashes In Iraq
Meanwhile, four of six members of a US military refuelling aircraft’s crew have been confirmed dead by US Central Command (CENTCOM) after it crashed in western Iraq.
CENTCOM disclosed that rescue efforts continue after the loss of the KC-135, having said earlier that neither hostile nor friendly fire were involved in the downing of the aircraft.
The tanker had been involved in ongoing US operations against Iran and was one of two aircraft involved in the incident. The second landed safely.
CENTCOM said that the incident occurred around 14:00 ET (19:00 GMT) on Thursday and that the circumstances of the crash were now under investigation.
The US military command unit added that the identities of the personnel who had been killed were being withheld for 24 hours so their next of kin could be notified.
Gen Dan Caine, Chair of the US Joint Chiefs, told the news conference that the plane had crashed “while the crew was on a combat mission.” “We’re still treating this as an active rescue and recovery operation,” he said.
US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth hailed the aircraft’s crew members as “American heroes”, stressing that their “sacrifice will only recommit us to the resolve of this mission.”
The Boeing-manufactured aircraft are capable of refuelling planes midair and typically play a major role in US military operations. They were used extensively in the first Gulf War to extend the range of fighter jets and bombers.
The KC-135 usually has a crew of at least a pilot, a co-pilot and a boom operator responsible for controlling the refuelling arm of the aircraft.
Boeing manufactured the KC-135 Stratotanker for the US military in the 1950s and early 1960s. It has been a backbone to the US military’s air refuelling fleet, and allow combat aircraft to carry out longer missions without needing to land.
CENTCOM earlier described the crash as happening over friendly airspace but this is a region of Iraq where pro-Iranian militias operate. Iran’s military claimed on state TV that an allied group had targeted the plane with a missile.
The crash brings the official US military death toll in the US-Israel war with Iran, which began a fortnight ago, to 11. The US military has now lost at least four aircraft during the current war.
Earlier this month, three F-15s were shot down in “an apparent friendly fire incident” over Kuwait, officials said. All six crew members were able to safely eject.
Hours later, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said all six members of the US military refuelling aircraft’s crew were confirmed dead after it crashed in western Iraq.
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