During a news conference on Friday, Army Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the United States is actively “destroying the military” of Iran’s radical regime. He also mentioned that the newly appointed supreme leader had suffered injuries, potentially even disfigurement.
According to Hegseth, the Iranian leadership appears to be “in despair, hiding, underground, hunkering down.” He emphasized this point, remarking, “That’s what rats do.” He added there are indications that the new leader might be injured and not in a commanding position.
The new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is the son of the recently deceased Ali Khamenei, had issued a statement on Thursday calling Hegseth “weak.” Hegseth responded, questioning the necessity of a written statement given Iran’s capabilities for audio-visual communication. He suggested that Khamenei was fearful and disoriented, possibly leading to confusion over who holds actual power in Iran amidst the chaos.
Hegseth proclaimed that the U.S. intends to “defeat, destroy and neutralize” all significant military capabilities of Iran at an unprecedented pace. He asserted that soon, all of Iran’s defense structures will be dismantled.
“I serve God, our military, our country, our Constitution, and the President of the United States. I answer only to those who strive for victory on the battlefield and my military objectives from the beginning: to demolish missile capabilities, tackle the Navy, and prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons,” he declared, describing his goals as “clear, decisive, and achievable.”
This is breaking news and will be updated.
