US to bomb Iran as Pentagon claims Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ‘disfigured’

Here are five key takeaways from Hegseth’s report:

1. 01
   

   ‘Highest number of US attacks on Friday’

   Hegseth said that on Friday the United States will launch “the largest volume of strikes the United States has ever launched over the skies over Iran.” This comes a day after the US military said US forces have struck more than 6,000 targets since the operation began. The targets included more than 30 minelayer vessels.

   Aside from attacks on Iran’s military assets, the United States and Israel have attacked oil reserves, refineries and several other strategic assets belonging to Tehran.

2. 02
   

   Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ‘is injured and probably disfigured’

   Hegseth said at the press conference that Iran’s newly elected Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is injured and probably disfigured. Mojtaba was elected to succeed his father, the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on March 8.

   “We know that the new not-so-supreme leader is injured and probably disfigured. He issued a statement yesterday. A weak statement, actually, but there was no voice or video. It was a written statement,” Hegseth said.

   The mid-level cleric, known for his close association with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was wounded in the initial coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 that killed his father. He has made no public appearances since the conflict began.

3. 03
   

   ‘All of Iran’s defense companies will soon be destroyed’

   Hegseth said Iran’s missile volume was reduced by 90 percent and its one-way attack drones were reduced by 95 percent, adding that very soon all of its defense companies “will be destroyed.”

   The United States and Israel have been carrying out phased attacks against Iran’s ballistic missile and drone infrastructure. Having attacked Tehran’s launchers and warheads, they will now attack its supply chains.

4. 04
   

   “Iranian leaders have gone underground”

   Hegseth said the Iranian leadership has gone underground, adding that they are moving into bunkers and civilian areas.

   The United States and Israel have pursued a strategy of removing Tehran’s top leaders in an attempt to force a regime change by boosting confidence among dissidents.

   In the first half of January, the Islamic Republic witnessed the largest uprising against the regime since its founding. A brutal crackdown followed, with reports indicating approximately 30,000 deaths.

5. 05
   

   “Trump holds the cards”

   Hegseth said US President Donald Trump “holds the cards” and will decide when to strike. Earlier on Monday, Trump said “the war is very complete,” but days later, Mojtaba made his first public statement, vowing to keep fighting and threatening to open “other fronts” in the war.

   Since the war began, Iran has pursued a strategy of stifling trade through the Strait of Hormuz – transiting more than a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies – triggering an energy crisis.

   On Friday, the Associated Press reported that at least 19 commercial vessels have been attacked or damaged in the Persian Gulf and surrounding areas since the start of the conflict. Tehran has been attacking fuel tankers and related assets in the region using drones and ballistic missiles to pressure the United States’ regional allies to persuade Washington to end its attack.

   To combat skyrocketing energy prices and shortages, the International Energy Agency (IEA) announced it would release 400 million barrels of oil. The United States also announced a 30-day sanctions waiver for Russian crude oil, providing relief to Moscow amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.