Hegseth says US bombings against Iran will rise markedly

“Today will again be our most intense day of attacks within Iran”, Hegseth said at a press conference at the Pentagon.

The US and Israel launched bombings against the Islamic republic on 28 February.

Hegseth added that, in terms of the duration of the war, Trump is the one that “controls the rhythm”.

“He's the one who puts”, Hegseth said.

“It is not my duty to say whether this is the beginning, the middle or the end”, the defence secretary added.

Among the goals of the war is the destruction of Iran's Navy, which has been hit by <x0-artier, fighter aircraft, bombers and rockets issued by the sea”, said General Dan Caine, the top American military officer, at the same conference with Hegseth.

Iran has pledged to block all oil exports across the Gulf as long as the war lasts, while Trump has threatened “death, fire and rage” if Tehran intervenes in oil exports.

Caine said American forces continue to search and hit ships that place mines and warehouses that store the “mines, as these are weapons Iran can use to block maritime traffic.

Meanwhile, Hegseth accused Iran of putting “rocket launchers in civilian neighbourhoods, near schools and near hospitals to prevent our attacks. That's how they do it”

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused Iran of trying to hold the world hostage “by launching revenge attacks across the Middle East and saying American military operations, with the aim of limiting Tehran's capacities, are advancing according to plans.

As an example of Tehran's attacks on neighbouring countries, NATO has said it has crashed a ballistic missile into Turkish airspace for the second time since the United States and Israel's war on Iran has begun.

“NATO has again toppled a missile launched in Turkey. NATO is determined to protect the Allies against each threat”, the alliance has said through a social networking post on March 9th, but without providing more details.

The Turkish Defence Ministry has confirmed the incident, adding that several fragments of ammunition have fallen to empty land in Gaziantep, a town in southern Turkey, near the Syrian border. No victim reporting. /rel/