Hegseth’s language was deliberately ruthless: the United States, aligned tightly with Israel, is determined to “cripple” Iran’s military power and seize uncontested control of its skies. More jets, more bombers, more counter‑drone systems are already surging into the region. Yet even as he boasted that Iran is “toast,” he admitted this is only the beginning of a long, punishing campaign, with Trump himself framing the confrontation as a deadly race in which he simply struck first.
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