The war between the United States, Israel and Iran is intensifying, with U.S. officials warning the conflict could last far longer than initially expected.
The decision comes after U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that the war could extend by as much as eight weeks, exceeding the timeline originally anticipated by the administration.
Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Hegseth said the United States had deployed every available capability to strengthen air defence systems across the Middle East in order to protect American troops and allied nations. However, he admitted that despite these efforts, some Iranian missiles could still penetrate defences.
“This does not mean we can stop everything,” Hegseth said. “But we ensured that the maximum possible defence and force protection were in place before launching our offensive operations.”
President Donald Trump praised the performance of U.S. forces, saying the military is “doing very well on the war front.” Still, the absence of a clear exit strategy has raised concerns among many Americans who were already uneasy about the country entering the conflict.
Meanwhile, fighting across the region continues to escalate. Aerial attacks entered their sixth consecutive day as Iran launched new missile strikes on Israel early Thursday. The attacks came shortly after a U.S. submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in international waters near Sri Lanka — one of the most significant naval strikes of the conflict so far.
The Iranian vessel, identified as the IRIS Dena, reportedly carried about 180 sailors. Rescue teams recovered dozens of survivors, while many others were killed or remain missing after the ship went down.
At the same time, the Israeli military announced new airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon. Moments later, air raid sirens sounded across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as Israeli air defence systems moved to intercept incoming Iranian missiles.
The latest developments follow a surprise joint attack by the United States and Israel on Iranian targets last Saturday, with additional strikes carried out on Wednesday that further intensified the conflict.
Iran has also widened its retaliation beyond Israel, launching attacks across several Gulf states. Reports indicate missile strikes have targeted Kuwait and Bahrain, as regional governments brace for further escalation.
Tehran has warned that if the war continues, it could unleash “the complete destruction of the region’s military and economic infrastructure,” raising fears that the conflict could spread across the entire Middle East.
