Dubai, March 11: Pete Hegseth, US Defence Secretary, said Tuesday would mark the most intense day yet of US strikes inside Iran, as the conflict in the Middle East entered its 11th day.
Speaking from the Pentagon, Hegseth said American forces were preparing for a major escalation.
Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted that Iran had fired the fewest missiles in the past 24 hours but remained determined to resist US operations.
Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was intensifying its campaign, claiming its forces were “breaking their bones.”
He added that the broader goal of the strikes was to encourage the Iranian people to overthrow their government and end what he described as tyranny.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump sent mixed signals about the duration of the conflict, causing volatility in global financial and energy markets.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf rejected suggestions that Tehran was seeking a ceasefire, emphasizing continued resistance.
Tensions in the Persian Gulf escalated further. The defence ministry of Qatar reported intercepting an incoming missile and had warned residents to stay indoors.
United Arab Emirates also activated air defences to counter potential Iranian strikes. Iranian official Ali Larijani warned Trump not to underestimate Iran after the US president threatened to respond “twenty times harder” if Tehran disrupted oil shipments through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Ali Mohamad Naeini of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to halt all oil exports from the Persian Gulf to hostile nations.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported a possible attack on a bulk carrier near Abu Dhabi.
Israel launched new airstrikes on Tehran, with witnesses hearing multiple explosions.
Bahrain faced missile and drone attacks, including a strike on a residential building in Manama that killed a 29-year-old woman and injured eight others.
Amid the escalation, Russia said it remains ready to mediate. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Moscow’s offer to assist in brokering peace remains on the table following talks between Vladimir Putin and Trump.