US says Iran firing fewer missiles, US strikes to expand inland

RiddleMaster · 2026-03-04T16:43:44+00:00

The U.S. military reports Iran is launching fewer missiles as the U.S. expands its strikes into Iranian territory. Defense Secretary Hegseth claims victory, noting the sinking of an Iranian warship marks a significant milestone.

RiddleMaster

2026-03-04 16:43:44

Abstract generation in progress

WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - Iran is firing fewer missiles than it did at ‌the start of the war on Saturday, the top U.S. general said on Wednesday, as he argued Iran’s military capabilities were greatly diminished as the United States expands its strikes inside Iran.

“We will ⁠now begin to expand inland striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory, and creating additional freedom of maneuver for US forces,” General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news briefing at the Pentagon.

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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States was winning in its war against Iran, ‌even ⁠as he lamented six U.S. troops killed so far in the conflict. He added the United States would outlast Iran.

Hegseth confirmed that the U.S. military sank an Iranian warship ⁠off the coast of Sri Lanka, calling it the first sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo since World War ⁠Two.

The U.S. sinking was first reported by Reuters.

“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was ⁠safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death,” Hegseth said.

Reporting by Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Donia Chiacu and Michelle Nichols

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Idrees Ali

Thomson Reuters

National security correspondent focusing on the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Reports on U.S. military activity and operations throughout the world and the impact that they have. Has reported from over two dozen countries to include Iraq, Afghanistan, and much of the Middle East, Asia and Europe. From Karachi, Pakistan.

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Phil Stewart

Thomson Reuters

Phil Stewart has reported from more than 60 countries, including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, China and South Sudan. An award-winning Washington-based national security reporter, Phil has appeared on NPR, PBS NewsHour, Fox News and other programs and moderated national security events, including at the Reagan National Defense Forum and the German Marshall Fund. He is a recipient of the Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence and the Joe Galloway Award.

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