U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday (March 10) would be the most intense day of strikes against Iran in the campaign so far.

Speaking with reporters, Hegseth said Tuesday would bring the most fighter jets and bombers against Iran.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH AND CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF GENERAL DAN CAINE HOLD A BRIEFING

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES (MARCH 10, 2026) (UNRESTRICTED POOL - Access all)

1. U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH AND CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF GENERAL DAN CAINE ARRIVING FOR BRIEFING

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH SAYING:

"The mullahs are desperate and scrambling like the terrorist cowards. They are. They fire missiles from schools and hospitals, deliberately, deliberately targeting innocents because they know their military is being systematically degraded and annihilated. Iran's neighbors and in some cases former allies in the Gulf. They've abandoned them and their proxies, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Hamas, either broken, ineffective or on the sidelines.

Iran stands alone and they are badly losing. On day ten of Operation Epic Fury. We are winning with an overwhelming and unrelenting focus on our objectives, which are the same as the day I gave my first briefing here on Operation Epic Fury. They're straight forward and we are executing them with ruthless precision. One destroy their missile stockpiles, their missile launchers and their defense industrial base missiles and their ability to make them to destroy their navy.

And three, permanently deny Iran nuclear weapons forever. It's a laser focused maximum authority mission delivered with overwhelming and unrelenting precision. No hesitation, no half measures. As President Trump declared yesterday, we're crushing the enemy in an overwhelming display of technical skill and military force. We will not relent until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated. But we do so.

We do so on our timeline and at our choosing. For example, today will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran. The most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes. Intelligence more refined and better than ever. So that's on one hand. On the other hand, the last 24 hours have seen Iran fire the lowest number of missiles they've been capable of firing yet."

3. SIDE VIEW OF HEGSETH AND CAINE AT BRIEFING

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH SAYING:

"Now, the chairman and I, having just returned from Dover last night, our troops and their families and the enormous sacrifice that they make is certainly heavy on my mind. So I'll close with Scripture drawing strength from Psalm 144. Blessed be the lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.

He is my loving god and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield in whom I take refuge. May the lord grant unyielding strength and refuge to our warriors, unbreakable protection to them and our homeland, and total victory over those who seek to harm them. And amen. God bless our troops and this mission. Mr. Chairman, over to you."

5. SIDE VIEW OF HEGSETH AND CAINE AT BRIEFING