Washington, March 1 (SANA) U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington had given Iran a final opportunity to reach a diplomatic agreement but that Tehran rejected it and would now face “major consequences.”
In a post on X on Sunday, Hegseth said that, under direct orders from President Donald Trump, the Pentagon had begun a large-scale military operation dubbed “Epic Fury,” which he described as the most lethal and complex air campaign in U.S. military history.
“Iran was given room to reach an agreement but chose confrontation and must now bear the consequences of that choice,” Hegseth wrote. He added that for nearly 50 years Iran had targeted Americans and said the current operation aimed to eliminate that threat.
Outlining the objectives of the campaign, Hegseth said the United States would not allow Iran to maintain missile capabilities that could threaten Americans.
“We will destroy all missiles and their production facilities, and U.S. forces will dismantle Iran’s naval capabilities,” he said.
On Saturday, the United States and Israel launched a series of airstrikes on targets inside Iran, including in the capital Tehran and other cities, using missiles and precision-guided munitions fired from air, land and sea. The strikes killed several senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard and the defense minister.
Iran responded with missile strikes on Israel and attacks on U.S. military facilities and sites in several Gulf states, resulting in reported civilian casualties.
N.J
