Prince Pahlavi calls on Iranians to form local groups to protect heritage sites

The US military is expanding strikes deeper into Iranian territory as part of efforts to degrade its missile, drone and naval capabilities, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said on Thursday.

“CENTCOM remains on plan… and remains unrelenting in our pursuit of Iranian missile capabilities, UAV capabilities and their navy,” Caine said during a briefing.

He said US forces had used 5,000-pound bunker-busting munitions against underground facilities storing coastal defense cruise missiles.

“These weapons are designed to get through concrete… and function after penetrating those barriers,” he said.

Caine said US forces were targeting mine storage sites, naval depots and vessels, adding that more than 120 vessels and dozens of mine-laying platforms had been hit.

“We’re flying further to the east now and penetrating deeper into Iranian airspace,” he said.

He added that A-10 aircraft and Apache helicopters were operating in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas, targeting fast attack boats and Iranian-aligned groups.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that American forces had struck more than 7,000 targets across Iran and its military infrastructure.

“To date, we’ve struck over 7,000 targets… that is overwhelming force applied with precision,” Hegseth said, adding that a new wave of strikes would be “the largest strike package yet.”

He said Iran’s military capabilities were being degraded, with air defenses “flattened” and missile and drone production severely reduced.

“Iran’s defense industrial base… is being overwhelmingly destroyed,” he said, adding that ballistic missile and drone attacks were down about 90% since the start of the conflict.

Hegseth said more than 120 Iranian naval vessels had been damaged or sunk and that Iran’s surface fleet was “no longer a factor.”

He said the campaign’s objectives remain unchanged, including destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, defense industry and ensuring it does not obtain a nuclear weapon.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that Washington could in the coming days remove restrictions on Iranian oil already at sea and put the volume at about 140 million barrels.

"In the coming days, we may unsanction the Iranian oil that's on the water. It's about 140 million barrels," he said in an interview with Fox Business.

He added that the United States was not attacking Iran’s energy infrastructure and had allowed Iranian oil exports to continue flowing out of the Persian Gulf.

Bessent also said that the United States still had “plenty more” it could do on oil supply.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday condemned an Iranian strike on a Qatari gas facility.

“I condemn in the strongest terms the overnight Iranian strike,” Starmer said on social media.

He said Britain was working toward a swift end to the conflict, adding that ending the war would help ease cost-of-living pressures.

Nematollah Shahsavani, 40, a dual British-Iranian national, and Alireza Farasati, 22, an Iranian national, were charged under the National Security Act with assisting a foreign intelligence service.

The Crown Prosecution Service said the charges relate to activities including “reconnaissance of targets” between July and August 2025.

Counter Terrorism Policing said the investigation focused on alleged surveillance of locations and individuals linked to the Jewish community in London.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans described the charges as “extremely serious” and said police would be “relentless” in pursuing those who threaten public safety.

“We fully recognise that the public - and in particular the Jewish community - will be concerned, but I hope this investigation reassures them that we will not hesitate to take action,” she said.

The two men are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.