He declared that \u201cAmerica is winning\u201d and suggested that in under a week the US and Israel \u201cwill have complete control of Iranian skies, uncontested airspace\u201d.<\/p>\n
The leader of the Iranian covert unit that planned to assassinate Trump in 2024 had been killed in the strikes, Hegseth said.<\/p>\n
Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, who also spoke at the briefing, said more than 20 Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed, and that the US has \u201ceffectively neutralised Iran\u2019s major naval presence\u201d.<\/p>\n
Hegseth said the US is able to continue the military action against Iran \u201cfor as long as we need to\u201d, saying Iran \u201ccan no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Pentagon continued to deny responsibility for a strike on a girls\u2019 school in Iran<\/a> on Saturday that killed a reported 168 people. \u201cAll I can say is that we\u2019re investigating, and that we, of course, never target civilian targets,\u201d Hegseth said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 28m ago<\/p>\n Israeli air force says it has dropped 5,000 bombs on Iran in current military campaign<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 40m ago<\/p>\n At least 80 people killed after US submarine torpedoes Iran warship, officials say<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 1h ago<\/p>\n Key points from Pentagon briefing<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 1h ago<\/p>\n China and Russia are \u2018non-factors\u2019 in Iran war, says Hegseth<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Hegseth: Iran cannot outlast us<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Hegseth says Iran can no longer shoot volume of missiles as before<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n US is investigating deadly strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh school girls school in southern Iran, Hegseth says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n US has ‘effectively neutralised’ Iran’s naval presence, Caine says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Hegseth: We have only just begun to fight<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Person charged with attempted assassination of Trump killed, Hegseth said<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Hegseth confirms sinking of Iranian warship<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Rules of engagement designed to “unleash American power”, Hegseth says.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Hegseth: US and Israel will have ‘complete’ control of Iranian skies in ‘under a week’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Summary of developments so far<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n ‘America is winning’ in Iran conflict, Hegseth says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n IDF launch fresh attacks in southern Lebanon as people urged to flee north<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Nato condemns Iran’s targeting of Turkey<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Iran death toll reaches 1,045, officials say<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 4h ago<\/p>\n Nearly 150 missing after Iranian warship sinks near Sri Lanka – report<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 4h ago<\/p>\n Who is Mojtaba Khamenei? The son of late supreme leader Khamenei seen as potential successor<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 4h ago<\/p>\n Iran state funeral for Khamenei postponed – report<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 4h ago<\/p>\n UN ‘deeply disturbed’ by reports of Iran school strike that killed 160 children<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 5h ago<\/p>\n Donald Trump \u2018really does not care\u2019 if Iran play at World Cup 2026<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 5h ago<\/p>\n Tell us: how have you been affected by the latest events in the Middle East?<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 5h ago<\/p>\n EU sees no immediate effect of Iran conflict on gas supply security – report<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Hezbollah says it targeted Israel’s major aerospace and aviation company<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Iran close to choosing new supreme leader – report<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 6h ago<\/p>\n Senior Khamenei aide says Iran won\u2019t negotiate with US<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Trump ‘betrayed diplomacy and Americans who elected him’, says Iran foreign minister<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n IDF says Israeli F-35 fighter jet shot down manned Iranian warplane in Tehran<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Spain’s position is ‘no to war’, says Sanchez<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Israel-US strikes on Iran appear \u2018inconsistent with international law\u2019, says Canadian PM<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 7h ago<\/p>\n Summary of developments so far<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 8h ago<\/p>\n Loud explosion in Tehran – report<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 8h ago<\/p>\n Dozens rescued from sinking Iranian warship near Sri Lanka<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 8h ago<\/p>\n Israel threatens to assassinate Ali Khamenei’s replacement<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 9h ago<\/p>\n Iran Guards say launched more than 40 missiles at US, Israeli targets<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 9h ago<\/p>\n Iranians to bid farewell to late Supreme Leader Khamenei in Tehran<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 10h ago<\/p>\n UK government charter flight for British nationals in Oman<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 10h ago<\/p>\n Conflicting claims over the strait of Hormuz<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 11h ago<\/p>\n Global markets roiled by conflict<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 13h ago<\/p>\n Six killed in Israeli strikes south of Beirut<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 13h ago<\/p>\n Opening summary<\/p>\n <\/a>Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n Israeli air force says it has dropped 5,000 bombs on Iran in current military campaign<\/p>\n The Israeli air force claimed to have dropped 5,000 bombs on Iran in its current military operation, which began on Saturday.<\/p>\n In a statement posted on X, it said: \u201cIsraeli air force fighter jets continue to deepen their air superiority throughout Iran<\/a>, with an emphasis on the Tehran area.”<\/p>\n Accompanying the message was a video, which the Israeli military said was footage of a missile strike on an Iranian air defence system in Tehran.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>At least 80 people killed after US submarine torpedoes Iran warship, officials say<\/p>\n The Sri Lankan deputy foreign minister, Arun Hemachandra, said at least 80 people were killed after a US submarine attacked an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n Foreign minister Vijitha Herath said 180 people were on board the Iris Dena, one of Iran\u2019s newest warships, when it issued a distress call at dawn about 25 miles south of the southern port of Galle. Sri Lankan authorities have launched a search and rescue mission to find other survivors.<\/p>\n The Iranian ship had taken part in a naval exercise held in the Bay of Bengal from 18 February to 25 February and was heading back to Iran from an east Indian port when it came under attack, the AP news agency reported. The \u2018Milan\u2019 naval exercise hosted by India listed an Iranian ship named \u2018Irins Dena\u2019 has having taken part in the drill, according to its website.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> We have heard from Eva Kipnis, a UK professor of marketing who is stranded in Dubai by ongoing military action.<\/p>\n Kipnis flew out to the University of Bradford\u2019s Dubai hub last Wednesday to teach professionals from across the region who are studying for an executive MBA.<\/p>\n Within 48 hours of her arrival, she found herself stranded in a high\u2011rise hotel, living through missile alerts, cancelled flights, and long nights sheltering in the hotel\u2019s underground car park.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not the most impacted part of the city,\u201d said Kipnis, who is director of the university\u2019s doctoral college. \u201cBut when they issue a Dubai\u2011wide alert, you move. You listen.\u201d<\/p>\n Eva Kipnis, a UK professor of marketing, is stranded in Dubai. Photograph: Eva Kipnis<\/p>\n When the first alarms went off, her phone lit up with a government warning and she made the now\u2011familiar descent 20 floors down concrete stairwells to the underground car park.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got a little \u2018go\u2011bag\u2019 now,\u201d she said. \u201cA mat for the stairs, some nuts and chocolate, water. You just prepare.\u201d<\/p>\n She was meant to fly home on Monday but her flight was cancelled. \u201cOf course there is anxiety,\u201d she said. \u201cI worry about my family. My parents, my husband, my children. And know they\u2019re incredibly worried about me.\u201d<\/p>\n Her family has experience of being in a war zone. \u201cMy brother and his family were in Kyiv when Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine,\u201d she explained. \u201cI helped bring them to the UK on the Ukraine family visa. It feels like we\u2019ve swapped places.\u201d<\/p>\n In Dubai, while some hotel guests chose to sunbathe by the pool, Kipnis has continued teaching, moving her lectures online. \u201cI\u2019m amazed by the resilience of our students,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThose 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.\u201d<\/p>\n A spokesperson from the Bradford university said it was extending support to all affected students, including doctoral research students.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.54 EST<\/p>\n Key points from Pentagon briefing<\/p>\n US defence secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that a US submarine sunk an Iranian warship in the Indian ocean<\/a> as he declared that the Iranian navy \u201crests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf\u201d and that it was \u201cineffective, decimated, destroyed\u201d.<\/p>\n He declared that \u201cAmerica is winning\u201d and suggested that in under a week the US and Israel \u201cwill have complete control of Iranian skies, uncontested airspace\u201d.<\/p>\n The leader of the Iranian covert unit that planned to assassinate Trump in 2024 had been killed in the strikes, Hegseth said.<\/p>\n Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, who also spoke at the briefing, said more than 20 Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed, and that the US has \u201ceffectively neutralised Iran\u2019s major naval presence\u201d.<\/p>\n Hegseth said the US is able to continue the military action against Iran \u201cfor as long as we need to\u201d, saying Iran \u201ccan no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did\u201d.<\/p>\n The Pentagon continued to deny responsibility for a strike on a girls\u2019 school in Iran<\/a> on Saturday that killed a reported 168 people. \u201cAll I can say is that we\u2019re investigating, and that we, of course, never target civilian targets,\u201d Hegseth said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Two Israeli soldiers were injured when they came under anti-tank fire in southern Lebanon, the IDF said.<\/p>\n They are believed to be the first Israeli personnel to be injured since fighting escalated between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah militants on Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cEarlier today, two IDF soldiers were moderately injured as a result of an anti-tank fire toward IDF troops operating in southern Lebanon,\u201d the Israeli military said in a statement.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>China and Russia are \u2018non-factors\u2019 in Iran war, says Hegseth<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have a message for them, and they\u2019re not really a factor here, and our issue is not with them,\u201d Hegseth said of Russia and China, both of whom have longstanding diplomatic and trade ties with Iran<\/a>, while Moscow has military links to Tehran.<\/p>\n The US defence secretary said the US focus on ending what he called \u201cthe nuclear ambitions of Iran\u201d.<\/p>\n Both Russia and China have criticised the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, with Moscow saying it had seen no evidence that Tehran was developing nuclear weapons while Beijing called for an immediate halt to the attacks.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Hegseth: Iran cannot outlast us<\/p>\n Hegseth finished the briefing by declaring that \u201cwe set the tone and the tempo of this fight\u201d but would not say how much longer the conflict would continue.<\/p>\n \u201cThe only limits we have on this is President Trump\u2019s desire to achieve specific effects on behalf of the American people,\u201d he said. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cWhen we say the throttle is going up, the throttle is going up and it\u2019s going to stay on high.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Hegseth says Iran can no longer shoot volume of missiles as before Hegseth noted that the US is able to continue the military action against Iran<\/a> for as long as it needs.<\/p>\n \u201cThe enemy can no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did \u2013 not even close,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can sustain this fight easily for as long as we need to.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>US is investigating deadly strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh school girls school in southern Iran, Hegseth says<\/p>\n When asked, defence secretary Pete Hegseth said that the US was investigating the deadly strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls school in Minab, but provided no further details.<\/p>\n \u201cAll I can say is we\u2019re investigating that,\u201d Hegseth said. \u201cWe, of course, never target civilian targets, but we\u2019re taking a look and investigating that.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Iranian state media, up to 168 people were killed by the strike and 95 injured \u2013 figures that the Guardian has not been able to verify.<\/p>\n Read more about the strike here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>US has ‘effectively neutralised’ Iran’s naval presence, Caine says<\/p>\n Dan Caine, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, has taken to the podium to provide more details about the conflict with Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n He supported the statements made earlier by defence secretary Pete Hegseth about the Iranian navy. \u201cTo date, we\u2019ve hit over 2,000 targets. We destroyed more than 20 Iranian naval vessels in addition to the frigate outside of the area,\u201d Caine said adding that the US has \u201ceffectively neutralised Iran\u2019s major naval presence and theatre out there\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the first time since 1945, a United States Navy fast-attack submarine has sunk an enemy combatant ship\u2026This is an incredible demonstration of America\u2019s 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,\u201d Caine said.<\/p>\n Read more about the Iranian warship:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.23 EST<\/p>\n Hegseth: We have only just begun to fight<\/p>\n Hegseth finished his remarks by praising Israel<\/a> as a \u201csteadfast partner\u201d and \u201ccapable ally\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cTo 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,\u201d Hegseth said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have only just begun to fight. America fights to win and in Operation Epic Fury, we are.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Person charged with attempted assassination of Trump killed, Hegseth said<\/p>\n Joseph Gedeon<\/p>\n Killed in the strikes on Iran is the person who led a plot to assassinate Donald Trump, Pentagon secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed on Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n \u201cThe leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate President Trump has been hunted down and killed,\u201d Hegseth said at a Pentagon briefing.<\/p>\n The plot dates back to 2024, when federal prosecutors under the Biden administration charged 51-year-old Iranian national Farhad Shakeri and two New York men with running a murder-for-hire operation on behalf of Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guard Corps. The aim, the department of justice said at the time<\/a>, was revenge for Trump\u2019s killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in 2020.<\/p>\n Shakeri had been personally directed by an IRGC official to assassinate Trump during the presidential campaign, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Hegseth confirms sinking of Iranian warship<\/p>\n Hegseth confirmed that a US submarine sunk an Iranian warship in the Indian ocean as he declared that the Iranian navy \u201crests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf\u201d and that it was \u201cineffective, decimated, destroyed\u2026pick your adjective, it is no more.\u201d<\/p>\n He said that on Tuesday, an American submarine in the Indian ocean \u201csunk an Iranian war ship that thought it was safe in international waters.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cInstead it was sunk by a torpedo, a quiet death \u2013 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Rules of engagement designed to “unleash American power”, Hegseth says.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re playing for keeps,\u201d Hegseth said. \u201cOur 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.<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cThis was never meant to be a fair fight and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they\u2019re down, which is exactly how it should be.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Hegseth: US and Israel will have ‘complete’ control of Iranian skies in ‘under a week’<\/p>\n Hegseth continued his remarks by saying that in under a week, the \u201ctwo most powerful air forces in the world\u201d \u2013 the US and Israel<\/a> \u2013 \u201cwill have complete control of Iranian skies, uncontested air space.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe will fly all day, all night, day and night, finding, fixing and finishing the missiles and defence industrial base of the Iranian military,\u201d Hegseth said.<\/p>\n \u201cFinding 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\u2019s over. And Iran will be able to do nothing about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.24 EST<\/p>\n Summary of developments so far<\/p>\n The US and Israel\u2019s strikes against Iran continue, with the Israeli military announcing a \u201cbroad wave of strikes\u201d against Tehran\u2019s security forces.<\/p>\n A new in the fighting has opened in Lebanon, where the Israeli military says it is targeting Hezbollah strongholds south of the country. It issued an \u201curgent warning\u201d to residents of a large swathe of southern Lebanon urging them to evacuate to the north of the Litani River.<\/p>\n Iran has upped its retaliatory strikes against Israel and US targets across the region. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait all announced Iranian attacks today.<\/p>\n Nearly 150 people could be missing after an Iranian warship sank off the coast of Sri Lanka. Authorities said 32 people were rescued while they search for other survivors. It was not immediately clear what happened or how many people were on board the 180-crew frigate Iris Dena.<\/p>\n Clerics in Iran say they are close to choosing a successor to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to state media. It is widely suggested that his second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, could replace him.<\/p>\n The funeral ceremony for Khamenei that was supposed to take place tonight in Tehran has been postponed. State media, citing officials, reported that the funeral was delayed to allow time for expanded infrastructure due to \u201coverwhelming demand\u201d. No timeframe was given of when the funeral will take place.<\/p>\n The death toll in Iran has reached 1,045 people, according to Iranian officials. Iran\u2019s foundation of martyrs and veteran affairs said the death toll represented the number of bodies that have been identified and prepared for burial, state media reported.<\/p>\n Turkish authorities said a missile launched from Iran and headed towards Turkey\u2019s air space was shot down by Nato air defence systems. The Turkish defence ministry said there were no casualties or injuries in the incident.<\/p>\n Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has hit back at Donald Trump after he made scathing comments over Spain\u2019s position that joint military bases could not be used for attacks on Iran.\u201cThe position of the government of Spain can be summed up in four words: no to war [no a la guerra],\u201d Sanchez said in a televised address.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>‘America is winning’ in Iran conflict, Hegseth says<\/p>\n Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, has taken to the podium at the Pentagon to provide an update on the conflict.<\/p>\n \u201cI stand before you today with one unmistakable message about Operation Epic Fury,\u201d Hegseth said. \u201cAmerica is winning. Decisively, devastatingly and without mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Sally](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Sally_Weale,_L.png\")
Sally Weale<\/p>\n![\"Shrai](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772638809_309_Shrai_Popat.png\")
Shrai Popat<\/p>\n