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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Tuesday would mark the \u201cmost intense\u201d day of strikes against Iran since the launch of the joint U.S.-Israeli military operation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cToday 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,\u201d Hegseth said during a press briefing Tuesday morning. \u201cOn the other hand, the last 24 hours have seen Iran fire the lowest number of missiles they\u2019ve been capable of firing yet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n During the same briefing, General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said more than 5,000 Iranian targets have been struck since the operation began. He also said that Air Force bombers had dropped dozens of 2,000-pound GPS-guided penetrating weapons on deeply buried missile launchers in recent days.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOn day 10 of Operation Epic Fury, we are winning with an overwhelming and unrelenting focus on our objectives,\u201d Hegseth said. \u201cNo hesitation, no half measures. As President Trump declared yesterday, we\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Hegseth also defended the U.S. military\u2019s record on minimizing civilian casualties.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo nation takes more precautions to ensure there is never targeting of civilians than the U.S.,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom the boat strikes in the Caribbean to this campaign here, no nation in the history of warfare has ever attempted in every way possible to avoid civilian casualties.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Hegseth added that the U.S. military investigates any incidents where questions arise.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a point that isn\u2019t appreciated enough,\u201d he said. \u201cWhere things happen that need to be investigated, we\u2019ll investigate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Those comments came after the Pentagon said it was investigating reports that an Iranian girls\u2019 school had been struck during the operation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n During the briefing, Caine and Hegseth outlined the three primary objectives of the campaign. First, Caine said the goal was to destroy Iran\u2019s ballistic missile and drone capabilities to prevent attacks on U.S. forces and regional partners.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat means attacking launch sites, command and control nodes, and stockpiles before they can threaten our personnel, our facilities, and our partners,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Second, Caine said the U.S. military is targeting Iran\u2019s naval forces while protecting shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n