The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Pete Hegseth, the U.S. defense secretary, claimed Friday that Iran’s military is being destroyed at an unprecedented pace amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel.
Speaking at a press conference in Washington, D.C., Hegseth said U.S. and Israeli air forces have struck more than 15,000 targets across Iran since the start of the war.
“That is more than 1,000 targets a day. No other combination of countries in the world could do that,” he said.
Hegseth added that Iran’s armed forces are being destroyed at a pace rarely seen in modern warfare.
“Never before has a modern, capable military — which Iran used to have — been so quickly destroyed and made combat ineffective,” he said.
The U.S. defense secretary also claimed that Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz reflect what he described as desperation, adding that attacks in the strategic waterway are being managed by U.S. forces.
He further alleged that Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader had been wounded and was “likely disfigured,” though he did not provide additional details.
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes, has seen rising tensions that fuel global concerns about energy supplies and regional security.
