Hegseth: 'Upcoming days decisive — regime change occurred'; Caine: B-52s started, 150+ ships neutralized

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Dan Caine held their first public briefing on the Iran war in 12 days at the Pentagon on March 31 (first since March 11). Key statements: HEGSETH: - 'The upcoming days will be decisive. Iran knows that, and there's almost nothing they can militarily do about it.' - 'We have more and more options, and they have less... in only one month we set the terms.' - Claimed regime change has occurred in Iran; new leadership should be 'wiser than the last.' Warned of 'even more intensity' if no deal. - 'They will shoot some missiles; we will shoot them down.' - US is 'closer than ever before to winning.' - Visited troops over the weekend (location classified): 'The trip was an honour. I witnessed the best of America.' Troops show 'urgency to finish the job' — one female soldier asked for 'more bombs.' - Last 24 hours = lowest Iranian missile count since war began; morale damaged; desertions and frustration among Iranian military leadership. - On Russia and China: 'We know exactly what they're doing, what they are or are not doing. We don't have to air publicly what all of that is, but where necessary, we're addressing it, we're mitigating it or we're confronting it head on.' GEN. CAINE: - US B-52 strategic bombers are now flying over Iranian territory — first time in the war. Iran's air defenses significantly degraded (IDF: 80%+ destroyed). - US focused on destroying supply chains for missile, drone and shipbuilding facilities — 'choking off Iran's ability to replace munitions.' Precision strikes on manufacturing nodes 'deep within Iran.' - 150+ Iranian ships neutralized by the US Navy (consistent with WH Press Secretary Leavitt: 92% of Iran's largest vessels destroyed).