US Forces Swiftly Overwhelm Iran as Conflict Escalates

The US will have complete, uncontested control of Iranian airspace within days, the Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, declared Wednesday, saying Iran "cannot outlast" American military power and that its capabilities were "evaporating by the hour".

The joint US-Israeli operation to attack Iran, which began on Saturday, had already delivered "twice the air power of shock and awe of Iraq in 2003" and "seven times the intensity of Israel's previous operations against Iran during the 12-day war", Hegseth claimed at a press conference alongside Dan Caine, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff.

Hegseth's bold statements come as the United States continues to ramp up its military offensive against Iran, with airstrikes and other operations intensifying in recent days. The Pentagon chief asserted that the Iranian regime is "toast" and that it "cannot outlast" the sustained US onslaught.

The rapid US gains on the ground and in the air have been a stunning development in the escalating conflict between the two adversaries. Iran, which has long been considered a formidable military power in the region, appears to be quickly losing ground against the overwhelming might of the American and Israeli forces.

Hegseth's statements suggest that the US is confident in its ability to achieve a decisive victory over Iran in the coming days and weeks. The civilian toll of the conflict has already begun to climb, but the Pentagon seems undeterred, intent on crushing Iran's military capabilities and cementing its control over the country's airspace.

As the war continues to unfold, the world watches with bated breath, wondering how far the US and Israel will go in their quest to subdue the Iranian regime. The stakes are high, and the consequences of this conflict could reverberate throughout the Middle East and beyond.