As Iran’s death toll since Saturday surpassed 1,000, Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth said the war was “just beginning.”
listen to this article3 minutes
information
Published March 4, 2026
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said more U.S. troops would arrive in the Middle East as the war with Iran escalates amid growing concerns about civilian casualties from U.S. and Israeli attacks.
Hegseth said at a Pentagon press conference Wednesday that the U.S. and Israeli campaign against Iran is “just beginning.”
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
“We’re not slowing down, we’re accelerating…more bombers and fighters are arriving today,” he told reporters, adding that the U.S. would have an “almost unlimited” supply of 226 kg (500 lb), 453 kg (1,000 lb) and 900 kg (2,000 lb) bombs.
The United States and Israel will sow “death and destruction from the sky all day long,” he said.
Hegseth’s militant remarks came five days after the US-Israel war began in a war against Iran that has killed at least 1,045 people across the country since Saturday, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Legal experts have condemned the offensive as a violation not only of international law but also of the United Nations Charter, and humanitarian groups have warned of the impact of war on civilians in the Middle East.
Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Val, reporting from the Iranian capital Tehran, said civilians were “bearing the brunt” of US and Israeli attacks.
“The strike continues,” he said on Wednesday night, noting that three-quarters of Tehran’s residents reportedly left the city.
“Authorities here condemn the uncontrolled attacks by Americans and Israelis against this country and the lack of precision and target clarity in this operation.”
Iran’s response to the attack has also drawn criticism, as the country fired missiles and drones across the region, killing at least six U.S. military personnel and 11 people in Israel.
Iranian shelling has increasingly targeted oil and gas infrastructure in the Gulf, raising concerns about disruption to global energy markets.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warned in a statement on Wednesday that the war was having a “significant” impact on civilians across the Middle East.
“This deadly escalation is exacerbating the suffering of people already traumatized and impoverished by previous conflicts,” said the humanitarian group’s executive director, Jan Egeland.
“We call on all parties to de-escalate tensions, protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, and allow safe and unimpeded humanitarian access. The people of the region have endured enough.”
