US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has boldly declared that attacks on Iran will ramp up today, Tuesday with the heaviest strikes since Washington launched the war 10 days ago.
With the US intensifying attacks on Tehran, Hegseth told a news conference at the Pentagon that, “Today will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran.”
This is as reports indicated that Iran has fired its lowest number of weapons in the past 24 hours as the war continue to escalate. The drop in Iranian missile activity coincides with the 10th day of the US-Israel war against Iran, with U.S. officials claiming they are “winning” and effectively degrading Iran’s missile and drone capabilities.
Also speaking at the news conference, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine paid glowing tribute to the American servicemen who have died as a result of Trump’s war on Iran.
In his update on US progress in the conflict, General Caine said the joint force remains focussed on its three main objectives, destroying missiles and drone capability before it can threaten American interests; strike and degrade the Iranian navy and prevent the regime from being able to attack the US and its partners “for years to come”.
Caine further said: “Ballistic missile attacks continue to trend downwards, down 90% from when we started”, adding that that the US is striking Iranian mine-laying missiles as part of the campaign which has so far destroyed an estimated 50–80 percent of Iran’s missile launcher
The U.S. Air Force officer, who is serving as the 22nd Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since April 2025, said: “this is gritty and tireless work” and expresses his pride in the performance of the joint force throughout the campaign.
Iran Writes UN, Accuses US, Israel Of ‘Manifest Environmental Crime’
Iran has appealed to the United Nations (UN) to condemn the US and Israel for a “manifest environmental crime” over the bombing of fuel storage facilities in Tehran and other cities over the weekend.
The attacks led to the falling of acid rain across Tehran, as well as the spreading of clouds of smoke so thick they blocked out the sun and caused respiratory problems and skin irritation to residents.
Agency reports said a small group of residents of the affected areas took pictures as flames and large plume of smoke billowing into the dark sky from an oil storage facility struck as attacks hit the city during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran on 07 March 2026.
In a letter passed Monday to senior officials at the UN, including Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Saeed Iravani, Iran’s UN Ambassador, said the explosions had “released large quantities of hazardous compounds including hydrocarbons, sulphur, and nitrogen oxides” creating “severe air pollution and serious health risks”.
It said subsequent rainfall led to the “dispersion and deposition of these pollutants through highly acidic precipitation”, adding, “Such developments may result in severe respiratory harm to the population and extensive environmental degradation, including the contamination of water resources and damage to ecosystems and living organisms.”
In response, all medical in Tehran province had been placed on high alert, while Iran’s environment department had advised residents to remain indoors, Iravani said.
“These attacks constitute a clear violation of international obligations arising under multilateral environmental agreements, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, which underscore States’ responsibility to protect the global environment and to refrain from actions that may cause widespread environmental harm.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran calls upon the United Nations and its relevant bodies to urgently address these developments and to undertake appropriate measures, including condemning environmentally destructive acts and pursuing accountability for those responsible for this manifest environmental crime.”
UAE Intercepts Eight Missiles, 26 Drones
In a related development, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported that its air defences intercepted eight missiles and 26 drones on Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Writing on X, the UAE Defence Ministry said a ninth missile fell into the sea while nine more drones fell into the country’s territory.
The Defence Ministry further confirmed that in total, UAE air defences identified 262 ballistic missiles, eight cruise missiles and 1,475 drones heading toward UAE territory. This is as available reports indicated that the attacks have killed six people and injured 122.
