US expands strikes on Iran, vows ‘more and larger waves’ as campaign intensifies

“More and larger waves are coming. We are just getting started. We are accelerating, not decelerating,” Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon, appearing alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine.

His remarks came four days after coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes began on February 28, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior security officials — a move that has pushed the region into one of its most volatile moments in decades.

Expanding objectives

Hegseth said the campaign seeks to destroy Iran’s missile and drone production facilities, dismantle its naval capabilities, and eliminate any potential pathway to nuclear weapons.

“Iran will never possess a nuclear bomb,” he said, adding that additional U.S. bombers and fighter aircraft were arriving in the region. He also rejected reports that U.S. weapons stockpiles were running low, claiming the military retains a “nearly unlimited” supply of precision-guided munitions.

Gen. Caine said U.S. forces have struck more than 2,000 targets across Iran and destroyed over 20 naval vessels, including a frigate and a submarine. He described Iran’s major naval presence as “effectively neutralized.”

Hegseth separately confirmed that a U.S. submarine torpedoed an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean — the first sinking of an enemy vessel by torpedo since World War II, according to the Pentagon.

Operations are now set to move deeper inland, Caine said, with strikes expanding further into Iranian territory. When asked whether U.S. ground troops could be deployed, he declined to comment directly. “That is a question for policymakers. I execute policy,” he said.

Assassination plot claim

Hegseth also claimed that the commander of an Iranian unit allegedly linked to a plot to assassinate President Donald Trump had been killed in a strike Tuesday.

“Iran tried to kill President Trump, and President Trump got the last laugh,” he said, offering few additional details. He acknowledged the alleged plot had not been publicly identified as a primary objective of the campaign but said he personally ensured those responsible were added to the target list.

Türkiye intercept and NATO response

Tensions widened after a ballistic projectile launched from Iran was intercepted near Turkish airspace.

Hegseth said he did not believe the incident would trigger NATO’s collective defense clause. “No sense that it would trigger anything like Article 5,” he said, noting he was still reviewing the details.

Türkiye’s defense ministry confirmed that the missile, which traveled over Syria and Iraq toward Turkish airspace, was intercepted by NATO air defense units in the Eastern Mediterranean. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conveyed Ankara’s concerns to his Iranian counterpart, urging restraint and warning against further escalation.

NATO condemned the incident, reaffirming its commitment to collective defense and describing its deterrence posture as strong across all domains.

As Washington signals deeper and broader strikes, fears are mounting that the conflict could spill further across the region, drawing in additional state and non-state actors.