US says strikes expanding deeper into Iran, targets missile and naval sites

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.

Iran’s intelligence ministry said it had arrested 97 individuals it described as “soldiers of Israel,” state media reported on Thursday.

The ministry said the suspects were planning unrest with backing from what it called “US-Zionist” actors.

It also said several armed cells were dismantled in Khuzestan province and that weapons, including firearms and explosives, were seized.

Iranian officials frequently accuse opposition groups and detainees of links to Israel and foreign powers, though such claims are often rejected by human rights organizations.