Washington (TDI): United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that the US is “winning” in its military campaign against Iran and emphasized that American forces are prepared to continue the fight for as long as necessary.
“Our air defenses and those of our allies have plenty of runway. We can sustain this fight easily for as long as we need to,” Hegseth told a Pentagon press briefing. He dismissed China and Russia as non-factors in the conflict, stating that Washington’s focus is solely on curbing what he described as Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Hegseth also announced that a US submarine had sunk the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lankan authorities rescued 32 crew members, while 148 remained missing. Hegseth described the attack as the first US torpedo sinking of an enemy vessel since World War II, calling it a “quiet death” and framing it as part of Washington’s broader goal of neutralizing Iran’s navy.
Russia condemned the US on Wednesday for using a supposed Iranian threat as a pretext to attempt regime change. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized Washington’s calls for Iranians to seize power from their leadership as “cynical and inhumane,” while highlighting Moscow’s strategic partnership with Tehran. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin also denounced the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated on the first day of the US-Israel campaign.
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Turkish officials reported that a missile launched from Iran, traveling through Iraq and Syria toward Turkish airspace, was successfully destroyed by NATO air defense systems. The fragment fell harmlessly in the Dortyol district of Hatay province. Turkiye warned Iran against actions that could expand the conflict, with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressing that any escalation must be avoided.
The US and Israel continued strikes on Iran, with Iranian state media reporting 1,045 deaths, including military personnel and civilians, since the campaign began on February 28. Explosions in Tehran coincided with mourning for the slain Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, 86, who was killed in the initial airstrike alongside his wife, another son, and senior officials.
Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son, is reportedly alive and likely to succeed his father, according to sources. Iran’s Assembly of Experts is set to announce the new Supreme Leader soon, while Israel has vowed to target anyone appointed to continue the previous regime’s policies. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that any leader chosen to perpetuate threats against Israel, the US, or regional stability would be an “unequivocal target.”
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Israeli forces have continued strikes for a fifth consecutive day, including shooting down an Iranian Yak-130 over Tehran with an F-35, marking the first recorded combat victory for the aircraft against a manned plane.
Meanwhile, global markets reacted sharply to the ongoing conflict, with losses in Asian markets, including a record-breaking fall in Seoul, reflecting investor concerns over oil supply disruptions and regional instability.
