US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has declared that "America is winning, decisively, devastatingly and without mercy" as the United States intensifies its military campaign against Iran. Speaking at a Pentagon briefing on the fourth day of operations, Hegseth described the unfolding assault as overwhelming and unapologetic, warning that further strikes were imminent.
"This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it's not a fair fight," Hegseth said, adding that the US is punching Iran "while they're down". He cautioned that "more and larger waves are coming, we are just getting started," signalling an escalation in the days ahead.
Hegseth characterised the results of the past four days as "incredible, historic really". Referring to Iran's leadership, he said: "They are toast, and they know it." He added that US forces had begun to "hunt, dismantle, demoralise, destroy and defeat" the regime's capabilities.
According to the defence secretary, Iranian leaders would see only "US and Israeli air power" overhead until Washington and its allies determine the conflict has ended. "We are only four days in," he said, but stressed that," as Trump has said," the US "will take all the time we need" to ensure success.
Hegseth also revealed that US forces had sunk an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. The vessel, he said, believed it was safe in international waters. "Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo." He did not identify the ship by name.
Earlier, Sri Lankan authorities reported that the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena had gone down approximately 40 nautical miles off Galle in southern Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan navy said the ship issued a distress call between 6am and 7am local time on Wednesday. The cause of the emergency remains unknown.
Officials in Sri Lanka said several bodies had been recovered and 32 wounded sailors rescued. The vessel was believed to be carrying about 180 crew members, with many still unaccounted for as search and rescue operations continued. A navy spokesperson stated that no other ship or aircraft was observed in the area at the time of the sinking.
Sri Lanka’s foreign minister told parliament that naval ships and air force planes were dispatched after the distress alert was received. An Iranian embassy official in Colombo said two officers had been sent to Galle to speak with survivors “to get a sense of what might have happened on the ship”.
The sinking occurred amid a widening regional conflict. The United States and Israel have been conducting sustained air strikes on Iran following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and hundreds of others. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and US-linked assets in Gulf states, resulting in further casualties.
As the confrontation enters its fifth day, both sides appear entrenched, with Washington signalling a prolonged campaign and Tehran vowing continued resistance. The rhetoric from US officials suggests that, far from winding down, the conflict may be moving into a more intense and expansive phase.
