Washington, April 1 (IANS). The US said on Tuesday that its ongoing military campaign against Iran is weakening the country’s armed forces. The morale of the Iranian army is falling, soldiers are fleeing and there is a shortage of important personnel.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters at a press conference at the Pentagon that the US strikes are continuing to strain the coordination and command structures of the Iranian military.
Responding to a question, Hegseth said, “The intelligence is clear … the attacks are damaging the morale of the Iranian military, causing mass desertion, loss of key personnel and demoralization among senior leaders.”
He said that US forces have destroyed important command bunkers, due to which Iranian leaders are having to work in difficult conditions. Recently another command bunker of his was destroyed. They now have neither water nor electricity nor oxygen nor command and control.
At the operational level, the Pentagon said US forces struck more than 11,000 targets last month, with a particular focus on missile systems, naval assets and defense infrastructure.
General Dan Kane, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the purpose of this campaign is to gradually reduce Iran’s ability to project power outside its borders.
“We are continuing precision strikes against critical manufacturing facilities, parts storage sites and research facilities,” he said.
US officials said the combination of continued attacks and pressure on supply chains was limiting Iran’s ability to rebuild its military capabilities.
The Pentagon indicated that targeting Iran’s defense industrial base would have far-reaching effects, reducing its ability to rebuild weapons systems over time.
–IANS
AY/ABM