Washington, March 31 (IANS) The United States is intensifying strikes on Iran while pursuing a deal to end Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, the White House said Monday, describing a dual-track approach of military pressure and diplomacy.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the ongoing operation was “moving ahead successfully and according to plan”, with more than “11,000 enemy targets” struck so far.
She said the campaign had sharply degraded Iran’s military capabilities. Ballistic missile and drone attacks were “down by roughly 90 per cent”, while US forces had destroyed “more than 150” naval vessels, leaving Iran’s navy “combat ineffective”.
“Our military continues to obliterate Iran’s defence industrial base,” she said, adding that “nearly 70 per cent” of its missile, drone and naval production facilities had been damaged or destroyed.
Leavitt said US and Israeli forces had “asserted air dominance over Iran”, completing more than “11,000 successful combat flights”.
At the same time, she confirmed that talks with Iran were continuing. “Talks are continuing and going well,” she said, noting that “what is said publicly is… much different than what’s being communicated to us privately”.
President Donald Trump has issued a “ten-day pause” on planned strikes targeting Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure to allow space for negotiations, she said.
Leavitt described the moment as “a truly once-in-a-generation opportunity” for Iran to “permanently abandon their nuclear ambitions”.
But she warned that if Tehran rejects a deal, “the greatest military in the history of the world continues to stand by… to ensure this regime continues to pay a grave price one way or another”.
She said the Pentagon’s timeline for the operation remained “4 to 6 weeks”, with the campaign now on “day 30”.
“The mission will continue until the objectives are achieved,” she said, listing goals including destroying Iran’s navy, dismantling its missile and drone infrastructure, and preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Leavitt also stressed that diplomacy remained central. “The President has always said that diplomacy is his number one option,” she said, while adding that military operations would continue alongside negotiations.
She said the administration was testing private assurances from Iranian interlocutors, warning that any commitments would be verified.
The White House also linked the military campaign to broader strategic aims, including ensuring Iran “can no longer control the world’s free flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz”.
The current escalation marks one of the most significant US military campaigns against Iran in decades, amid longstanding tensions over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and regional role.
For India, developments in the Gulf remain closely watched, given its dependence on energy imports and the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz for global oil supply chains.
–IANS
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