Washington: U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday that U.S. military operations against Iran would reach a new peak of intensity, emphasising that the duration of the conflict remains entirely at the discretion of President Donald Trump.

Speaking at a Pentagon news conference more than 10 days into the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign against the Islamic Republic, Hegseth underscored the administration's commitment to the aerial offensive. "Today will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran," he told reporters.

When questioned regarding a potential timeline for the cessation of hostilities, Hegseth stated that the president "gets to control the throttle. He's the one deciding." The defence secretary added, "It's not for me to posit whether it's the beginning, the middle or the end."

General Dan Caine, the nation's highest-ranking military officer, appeared alongside Hegseth and identified the systematic dismantling of the Iranian Navy as a primary objective. Caine noted that naval assets have been engaged by a combination of "artillery, fighters, bombers and sea-launched missiles."

The escalation occurs as Tehran threatens to halt all regional petroleum exports for the duration of the war. In response, President Trump has warned of "death, fire, and fury" should Iran interfere with global crude shipments. General Caine confirmed that American forces are actively attempting "to hunt and strike mine-laying vessels and mine storage facilities" to ensure maritime lanes remain navigable.

Hegseth further alleged that Iranian forces are "moving rocket launchers into civilian neighbourhoods, near schools, near hospitals to try to prevent our ability to strike -- that's how they operate."

The Pentagon chief did not specifically comment on a controversial strike earlier in the campaign that levelled an elementary school in the southern city of Minab. Iranian officials claim that the incident resulted in the deaths of more than 150 people.

President Trump has stated that the Minab incident is under investigation, though he suggested Monday that Iran might have accidentally struck the school with a Tomahawk missile. While Tomahawk cruise missiles are a staple of the U.S. arsenal and have been used extensively in the current campaign, Iran is not known to possess the weapon system.

With inputs from AFP