US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says the American operation against Iran remains in its “early” stages, four days in, and that the US intends to intensify its campaign.

Speaking at a Pentagon news conference, Hegseth said: “As President Trump said, more and larger waves are coming. We are just getting started. We are accelerating, not decelerating.”

He said the next phase aims for the US and Israeli air forces to gain what he called “complete control of Iranian skies”, claiming this could be achieved in “under a week”.

Hegseth added that air operations would focus on “finding, fixing and finishing” Iran’s missile forces and defence-industrial base, as well as targeting senior Iranian military figures.

“This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight,” he said. “We are punching them while they’re down, which is exactly how it should be.”

UK Fact Check Politics note: these are statements of intent from the US defence secretary; outcomes and timelines cannot be independently verified.