The U.S. Defense Secretary was surprised by the scale of Iran's retaliatory strike
¬ The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran announced a missile attack on the U.S. aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln"
¬ Iran responds to U.S. threat to send Iran back to the Stone Age
¬ Iran's ambassador to Egypt: U.S. landing on Iranian islands could lead to closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait
¬ Iranian expert: War speed exceeds the pace of U.S. military industrial development, including missile industry
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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was taken aback by Iran's large-scale strikes against American targets in the Middle East.
According to sources cited by Time magazine, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth expressed surprise at Iran's extensive attacks on U.S. assets in the Middle East. In internal discussions prior to the operation, Hegseth had referenced Iran’s past restrained responses to U.S. attacks as evidence that new strikes would not trigger broader conflict.
Speaking about Hegseth’s reaction to Iran’s response, one source stated: “He was caught off guard. There is no doubt about it.”
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell denied this claim. In comments directed at the article’s author, he asserted that no action by Iran would catch them off guard.
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Iranian English-language news channel Press TV reported, citing statements from the IRGC News Agency, that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched a missile attack on the U.S. "Abraham Lincoln" aircraft carrier.
The IRGC stated in its statement that the carrier was hit by four "Qader" missiles.
At the same time, the IRGC headquarters emphasized that ballistic missiles were fired at U.S. pilots and aviation engineers stationed near a base in the UAE.
It is reported that this attack was part of Operation "Real Commitment-4," the 91st phase of military operations.
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Iran’s official media outlet, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), responded to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s post on social platform X threatening to send Tehran back to the “Stone Age,” proposing instead to restore Iran to the territorial boundaries of the Achaemenid Empire. The post was made on April 1 local time.
"This map depicts Iran during the Stone Age. Are you really determined to restore it?" the post asked.
President Trump, speaking on April 1 locally, claimed that the U.S. would launch a fierce strike on Iran within the next two to three weeks, pushing the country back into the Stone Age.
Majid Musavi, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, said that threatening a great civilization will ultimately only lead America’s own military into the abyss of destruction.
The Achaemenid Empire was an ancient state located in Western Asia and Northeast Africa, established by the Persian Achaemenid dynasty, existing from the 6th century BCE to the 4th century BCE. By the end of the 6th century BCE, the empire's territory extended from the Indus River in the east to the Aegean Sea in the west, from the First Cataract of the Nile in the south to the Caucasus region in the north.
The Stone Age is an archaeological term referring to the long period of human development before metallurgy. This era began approximately 3 to 3.4 million years ago and ended around 3000 BCE.
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Mojtaba Ferdosi Pour, Iran’s ambassador to Egypt, told Sputnik News that if the U.S. decides to land troops on Iranian islands, it could lead to the closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait by the Ansar Allah movement (Houthi forces).
Mohammed Buhaiti, a member of the Houthi political bureau, previously told Sputnik News that the movement might block the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, but only targeting aggressor nations.
Ferdosi Pour said: “We hope our enemy (the United States – editor’s note) will not commit further strategic mistakes against Iran. If they attempt to land or occupy Iranian islands, another strait will resemble the Strait of Hormuz—this would trigger financial markets and global economic turmoil. This is not what we want, nor do we intend to appeal to the Houthis, but they certainly have such a plan.”
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Iranian expert Rakhle Chatsafied told Sputnik News that in high-intensity warfare, ammunition consumption far outpaces production rates.
The expert pointed out that the Tomahawk missile, once a symbol of U.S. military and technological superiority, has now become a weak link in the military supply chain. The primary manufacturer of Tomahawk missiles is facing difficulties beyond financial issues, while older missile upgrade models performed well in limited regional conflicts—but proved ineffective in prolonged conflicts with Iran and Yemen, and in competition synchronized with China.
When discussing the U.S.'s ability to fight multiple fronts simultaneously, the expert offered a concise answer: “Yes, but the intensity and effectiveness are entirely different.”
In reality, the U.S. will be forced to prioritize: focusing on containing China’s development, continuing to support Ukraine within acceptable limits, and avoiding direct, prolonged conflict with Iran.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861383499588620/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone