Key points from Pentagon briefing
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship, declaring that the Iranian navy “rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf” and is “ineffective, decimated, destroyed.”
“America is winning,”he declared, suggesting that within a week the US and Israel “will have complete control of Iranian skies, uncontested airspace.”
Hegseth also stated that the leader of the Iranian covert unit who planned to assassinate former President Donald Trump in 2024 had been killed in the strikes.
Dan Caine, Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who also spoke at the briefing, said over 20 Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed, and the US has “effectively neutralised Iran’s major naval presence.”
Hegseth added that the US can continue military operations against Iran “for as long as we need to,” noting that Iran “can no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did.”
The Pentagon denied responsibility for a strike on Saturday that killed a reported 168 people, stating,
“All I can say is that we’re investigating, and that we, of course, never target civilian targets.”
Eva Kipnis, a UK professor of marketing, shared her experience being stranded in Dubai due to ongoing military actions.
Kipnis had flown to the University of Bradford’s Dubai hub last Wednesday to teach professionals pursuing an executive MBA. Within 48 hours of arrival, she found herself confined to a high-rise hotel amid missile alerts, cancelled flights, and nights spent sheltering in the underground car park.
“It’s not the most impacted part of the city,”Kipnis said, who is also the director of the university’s doctoral college.
“But when they issue a Dubai-wide alert, you move. You listen.”
When alarms sounded, her phone received government warnings, prompting her to descend 20 floors via concrete stairwells to the underground car park.
“I’ve got a little ‘go-bag’ now,”she said.
“A mat for the stairs, some nuts and chocolate, water. You just prepare.”
Her flight home, scheduled for Monday, was cancelled.
“Of course there is anxiety,”she said.
“I worry about my family. My parents, my husband, my children. And know they’re incredibly worried about me.”
Kipnis noted her family’s prior experience with war zones:
“My brother and his family were in Kyiv when Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine,”she explained.
“I helped bring them to the UK on the Ukraine family visa. It feels like we’ve swapped places.”
While some hotel guests in Dubai chose to sunbathe by the pool, Kipnis continued teaching by moving her lectures online.
“I’m amazed by the resilience of our students,”she said.
“Those who could join came online and stayed all day. It felt surreal to talk about brands and marketing... but at the same time it was topical. We spoke about the British brand of keep calm and carry on. It helped create a sense of normality.”
A spokesperson from the University of Bradford stated that support is being extended to all affected students, including doctoral research candidates.
Two Israeli soldiers were injured after coming under anti-tank fire in southern Lebanon, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). They are believed to be the first Israeli personnel injured since fighting escalated between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah militants earlier this week.
“Earlier today, two IDF soldiers were moderately injured as a result of an anti-tank fire toward IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon,”the Israeli military said in a statement.
China and Russia are ‘non-factors’ in Iran war, says Hegseth
Regarding Russia and China, both of which have longstanding diplomatic and trade ties with Iran and, in Moscow’s case, military links, Hegseth stated:
“I don’t have a message for them, and they’re not really a factor here, and our issue is not with them.”
He emphasized that the US focus remains on ending what he termed “the nuclear ambitions of Iran.”
Both Russia and China have criticized the US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Moscow stated it has seen no evidence that Tehran is developing nuclear weapons, while Beijing called for an immediate halt to the attacks.
Hegseth: Iran cannot outlast us
Concluding the briefing, Hegseth declared:
“We set the tone and the tempo of this fight.”
He did not specify how much longer the conflict might last, stating:
“The only limits we have on this is President Trump’s desire to achieve specific effects on behalf of the American people. We could say four weeks, but it could be six, it could be eight, it could be three. Ultimately, we set the pace and the tempo.”
He added:
“When we say the throttle is going up, the throttle is going up and it’s going to stay on high.”
Hegseth says Iran can no longer shoot volume of missiles as before
Hegseth noted that the US is capable of sustaining military action against Iran for as long as necessary.
“The enemy can no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did – not even close,”he said.
“We can sustain this fight easily for as long as we need to.”
US is investigating deadly strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh girls school in southern Iran, Hegseth says
When questioned about the deadly strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls school in Minab, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the US is investigating the incident but provided no further details.
“All I can say is we’re investigating that,”Hegseth said.
“We, of course, never target civilian targets, but we’re taking a look and investigating that.”
According to Iranian state media, up to 168 people were killed and 95 injured in the strike; these figures have not been independently verified by .
US has 'effectively neutralised' Iran's naval presence, Caine says
Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, provided further details about the conflict with Iran, supporting Hegseth’s earlier statements about the Iranian navy.
“To date, we’ve hit over 2,000 targets. We destroyed more than 20 Iranian naval vessels in addition to the frigate outside of the area,”Caine said, adding that the US has
“effectively neutralised Iran’s major naval presence and theatre out there.”
He also noted:
“For the first time since 1945, a United States Navy fast-attack submarine has sunk an enemy combatant ship…This is an incredible demonstration of America’s global reach. To hunt, find and kill an out of area deployer is something only the United States can use with this kind of skill.”
Hegseth: We have only just begun to fight
Hegseth praised Israel as a “steadfast partner” and “capable ally.”
“To our steadfast partner, Israel: your mission is being executed with unmatched skill and iron determination. Fighting shoulder to shoulder with such a capable ally is a true force multiplier and a breath of fresh air. We salute your courage and your contribution,”Hegseth said.
“We have only just begun to fight. America fights to win and in Operation Epic Fury, we are.”
Person charged with attempted assassination of Trump killed, Hegseth said
Hegseth confirmed that the individual who led a plot to assassinate Donald Trump was killed in the strikes on Iran.
“The leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate President Trump has been hunted down and killed,”Hegseth said at the Pentagon briefing.
The plot, dating back to 2024, involved 51-year-old Iranian national Farhad Shakeri and two New York men, who were charged by federal prosecutors under the Biden administration with running a murder-for-hire operation on behalf of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. The aim was retaliation for Trump’s killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in 2020.
Prosecutors stated that Shakeri had been personally directed by an IRGC official to assassinate Trump during the presidential campaign.
Hegseth confirms sinking of Iranian warship
Hegseth confirmed that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, stating that the Iranian navy “rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf” and is “ineffective, decimated, destroyed…pick your adjective, it is no more.”
“On Tuesday, an American submarine in the Indian Ocean sunk an Iranian war ship that thought it was safe in international waters,”he said.
“Instead it was sunk by a torpedo, a quiet death – the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II. Like in that war, back when we were still the war department, we are fighting to win.”
Rules of engagement designed to "unleash American power", Hegseth says
“We’re playing for keeps,”Hegseth said.
“Our war fighters have maximum authorities granted personally by the president and yours truly. Our rules of engagement are bold, precise and designed to unleash American power, not shackle it.
“This was never meant to be a fair fight and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they’re down, which is exactly how it should be.”
Hegseth: US and Israel will have 'complete' control of Iranian skies in 'under a week'
Hegseth stated that in under a week, the US and Israel, described as the “two most powerful air forces in the world,” will have complete control of Iranian skies and uncontested airspace.
“We will fly all day, all night, day and night, finding, fixing and finishing the missiles and defence industrial base of the Iranian military,”he said.
“Finding and fixing their leaders and their military leaders. Flying over Tehran, flying over Iran, flying over their capital, flying over the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), Iranian leaders looking up and seeing only US and Israeli air power. Every minute of every day until we decide it’s over. And Iran will be able to do nothing about it.”
Summary of developments so far
The US and Israel continue their strikes against Iran, with the Israeli military announcing a “broad wave of strikes” against Tehran’s security forces.
A new front in the fighting has opened in Lebanon, where the Israeli military says it is targeting Hezbollah strongholds in the south. The IDF issued an “urgent warning” to residents of a large area in southern Lebanon, urging evacuation north of the Litani River.
Iran has increased retaliatory strikes against Israel and US targets across the region. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait all reported Iranian attacks today.
Nearly 150 people may be missing after an Iranian warship sank off the coast of Sri Lanka. Authorities reported 32 people rescued and are searching for other survivors. The frigate Iris Dena had a crew of approximately 180. The cause of the sinking remains unclear.
Clerics in Iran say they are close to selecting a successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to state media. It is widely suggested that his second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, could be the successor.
The funeral ceremony for Khamenei, originally scheduled for tonight in Tehran, has been postponed. State media cited officials saying the delay allows time for expanded infrastructure due to “overwhelming demand.” No new date has been announced.
Iranian officials report the death toll has reached 1,045 people. Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veteran Affairs stated this figure represents bodies identified and prepared for burial, according to state media.
Turkish authorities reported that a missile launched from Iran toward Turkish airspace was intercepted by NATO air defense systems. The Turkish Defence Ministry confirmed no casualties or injuries occurred.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez responded to critical comments from Donald Trump regarding Spain’s position on joint military bases, stating in a televised address:
“The position of the government of Spain can be summed up in four words: no to war [no a la guerra].”
'America is winning' in Iran conflict, Hegseth says
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth provided an update on the conflict at the Pentagon:
“I stand before you today with one unmistakable message about Operation Epic Fury,”Hegseth said.
“America is winning. Decisively, devastatingly and without mercy.”
IDF launch fresh attacks in southern Lebanon as people urged to flee north
The Israel Defense Forces announced the initiation of “a wave of attacks in southern Lebanon.”
Earlier, the IDF stated it targeted underground weapons depots and headquarters in Beirut belonging to Hezbollah.
“The IDF attacked in Beirut over the past 24 hours, completing another wave of attacks against infrastructure of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah,”the IDF said in a social media post.
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned residents in southern Lebanon to evacuate northward.
In a social media message, he stated:
“For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately. Anyone who is near Hezbollah operatives, facilities, or weapons is putting their life at risk.
Any house used by Hezbollah for military purposes may be targeted. To the residents of southern Lebanon, you must head immediately north of the Litani river. For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move north beyond the Litani river.”
