U.S. Says It Will Strike Deeper Into Iran As War Spreads Across Region

by HEDNEWS on March 4, 2026

U.S. Says It Will Strike ‘Deeper’ Into Iran as War Spreads Across Region By The United States military says it will expand its offensive against Iran, including carrying out deeper strikes inside Iranian territory, as the war between the U.S., Israel and Iran continues to spread across the Middle East and beyond. Top U.S. defence officials have also confirmed that a U.S. submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, marking a dramatic escalation of hostilities.

At a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, General Dan Caine, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the United States has begun to expand its strikes inland, targeting Iranian military infrastructure more deeply U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking alongside Caine, declared that the United States is winning the war, even as it mourns the deaths of six American troops. He said U.S. forces would “outlast Iran” in the campaign

In a significant development, Mr. Hegseth confirmed that a U.S. Navy submarine fired a torpedo that sank an Iranian warship reportedly the IRIS Dena off the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The attack, conducted in international waters, was described as the first time since World War II that a U.S. submarine has sunk an enemy warship with a torpedo. Sri Lankan naval sources reported they received a distress call from the Iranian vessel before it sank, and that around 140 people remained missing, with rescue operations under way The military confrontation between Washington, Tehran and their respective partners has spread far beyond Iran’s borders:

Missile and drone attacks launched by Iran have struck U.S. and allied targets in the Gulf region, though Iran’s offensive activity has decreased in recent days, according to U.S. officials.
NATO forces in Turkey said they intercepted an Iranian missile aimed at Turkish airspace, raising concerns about potential escalation with an ally covered by NATO defence guarantees.
Israel has maintained military pressure on Iranian‑linked militias in Lebanon and other theatres, widening the conflict’s geographic scope.

The submarine attack on the Iranian warship has been one of the conflict’s most dramatic naval moments. Reports indicate multiple fatalities among the Iranian vessel’s crew, while dozens were rescued by Sri Lankan forces.

Across the broader conflict

More than 1,000 people have been reported killed in Iranian strikes and U.S.Israeli counter‑strikes.
Oil and gas traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted, sending global energy prices higher.
Tens of U.S. and allied troops have been wounded or killed in Iranian retaliatory actions.

The statements from U.S. military officials signal a shift in strategy from long‑range strikes to deeper, targeted attacks intended to degrade Iran’s ability to wage war. Defence leaders insist that ongoing and expanded operations will continue until Iranian capabilities particularly missile and drone forces are neutralised.

International responses to the widening conflict have varied:

Some nations have urged restraint and a return to diplomacy.
Others have activated defence measures in anticipation of further strikes or unintended escalation.
NATO’s interception of an Iranian missile over Turkey underscores the risk of spill‑over beyond the Middle East’s immediate borders.

The war shows no immediate signs of de‑escalation. U.S. officials make clear they are prepared for a prolonged campaign, combining deeper strikes into Iran with pressure on Iranian‑aligned forces across the region, even as global concern grows over the conflict’s expansion and humanitarian impact.