Defence secretary Hegseth warns of 'most intense' day of US war on Iran

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has warned that Tuesday would be the "most intense" day of strikes inside Iran, adding that the country "stands alone, and they are badly losing".

He also said that, in the last 24 hours, Iran has fired the lowest number of missiles since the start of the war.

On the ground, Iranians in Tehran have described how they were left "in total darkness" following heavy strikes overnight.

Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, a top Iranian security official, said his country is not scared of what he called "worthless threats" by US President Donald Trump.

During a Tuesday morning US defence department update on the operation in Iran, Hegseth said US goals include destroying Iran's missile stockpiles, their missile launchers and their defence industrial base; destroying Iran's navy; and permanently denying the country nuclear weapons.

Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine said during the news conference that Iranian ballistic missile attacks continue to trend downwards.

They are "90% from where they started, and one-way attack drones have decreased 83% since the beginning of the operation", he said.

Hegseth did not give a timeline on the conflict ending, telling reporters that "our will is endless" but it was up to the president on how long it lasts.

He also said this would not be a repeat of the past, when the US became involved in drawn-out conflicts in the Middle East.

"This is not 2003," he said. "This is not endless nation-building under those types of quagmires we saw under Bush or Obama. It's not even close. Our generation of soldier will not let that happen again, and nor will this president who very clearly ran against those kinds of never-ending, nebulous scoped missions."

On Tuesday, the Pentagon said around 140 US service members have been wounded since the beginning of the Iran war on 28 February.

It said "the vast majority of these injuries have been minor", and 108 service members have already returned to duty, while eight people were severely injured.

Seven US service members have died.

Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency held a second meeting with G7 nations on Tuesday to discuss options for stabilising the global oil market, including releasing millions of barrels of crude from countries' stockpiles.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday the US military was discussing plans to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to oil tankers.

Oil prices around the globe have spiked in recent days over concerns about the passage of oil through the key shipping lane.

Iranian officials have vowed defiance in response to the campaign.

Trump on Monday said on Truth Social that Iran would be hit hard if it disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Senior Iranian security official Larijani responded, calling Trump's threats "worthless" and adding that "even those bigger than you couldn't eliminate Iranian nation".

"Be careful, so that you won't get eliminated," he concluded.

Trump, on Tuesday, also warned Iran over any possible use of mines along the Strait of Hormuz, saying there would be severe military consequences, though he noted the US has no reports of this happening.

He also said that the US had hit "and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine laying boats and/or ships", without offering more details.

The BBC's US partner CBS News has reported that US intelligence assets believe Iran is preparing to possibly deploy naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

On the ground in Iran, people continue to try to survive the barrage of US-Israeli strikes. At least 1,230 people have been killed across the country since the start of the conflict, according to the humanitarian organisation the Iranian Red Crescent.

"I was in total darkness last night," one man in his 30s from Tehran said, while others reported temporary blackouts or power fluctuations.

"I'm feeling terrible. They hit a street near us today. I just want to be able to sleep tonight," a man in his 20s in the capital said.

Amir, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, spoke to BBC Persian on Monday from Tehran, where he said the sound of the bombing "is so loud that it would be heard across the city".

"We feel overwhelmed, we feel anxious and exhausted and the idea of no future is looming large over us," he added.

Across the Iranian border in eastern Turkey, people who had fled described the fear of the unknown size and scope of the missile attacks.

"When I opened the balcony door, the blast was so powerful it threw me back", one woman said, describing missile strikes to the BBC.

In the early days of the war, she said the "strikes were few, now they come in waves".

Emily Wither in eastern Turkey contributed to this report