Hegseth: War Against Iran Still in Its Early Stages

ARK News.. Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, stated that the war against Iran remains in its early stages, noting that American and Israeli warplanes continue continuous flights over Iranian airspace.

Speaking on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, Hegseth said the scale of military force used so far in the joint U.S.–Israeli operation against Iran is twice the level of force used during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

He added that due to the ongoing internet shutdown inside Iran, many details of the military operation cannot currently be seen or verified.

Hegseth claimed that Iran’s air force and navy have been completely destroyed, which he said helped secure the safety of tens of thousands of Americans and allied personnel. He stressed that military operations have only just begun.

The U.S. defense chief also revealed plans to accelerate military efforts, explaining that the next phase aims to establish full air superiority over Iran within less than a week by U.S. and Israeli forces.

He added that air operations will focus on identifying, disabling, and dismantling Iran’s missile bases and defense industries, as well as targeting senior Iranian military commanders.

Hegseth also claimed that Iran had previously attempted to assassinate Donald Trump, stating that “in the end, victory was on his side.”

Quoting Trump, Hegseth said: “Larger and broader waves are coming. We are only at the beginning. We are accelerating, not slowing down.”

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