---
title: "Pete Hegseth Warns of Nighttime Strikes on Iran: 'Central Command Will Be Busy'"
description: "US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that strikes on Iran could begin as early as tonight. The goal of the attacks is to force Tehran to conclude a deal to end the war. 🇺🇸🇮🇷"
date: 2026-06-10T21:46:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/pete-hegseth-warns-of-nighttime-strikes-on-iran
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Pete Hegseth Warns of Nighttime Strikes on Iran: 'Central Command Will Be Busy'

![Pete Hegseth, US defense secretary nominee, warns of potential night strikes on Iran](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/11/peter-hegset-ugrozhaet-udarami-po-iranu-uzhe-v-etot-vecher/peter-hegset-ugrozhaet-udarami-po-iranu-uzhe-v-etot-vecher-1.webp)

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a sharp statement regarding upcoming military action against Iran. According to him, US forces could begin bombing "key targets" within the next few hours, and the attack could very well take place tonight.

### Pressure for a Deal

Hegseth explained that the threat of a serious strike is not an end in itself, but a tool of pressure. Washington is demanding that Tehran conclude a deal to end the war. The Pentagon chief effectively confirmed the position of President Donald Trump, who previously announced new strikes if Iran does not make concessions.

"Central Command will be busy tonight because President Trump said we will deliver a strong blow to Iran, and we will do it," the minister stated. He added that Iran has a chance to conclude a "good deal" to solidify promises that Tehran, in Washington's view, did not intend to fulfill earlier.

### Scale and Timing of the Operation

The official emphasized that the goal of the strikes is not to restart the conflict, but to create conditions to guarantee the conclusion of an agreement. Hegseth warned that if the strikes take place on Wednesday evening (which is already Thursday night by Kyiv time), they will be large-scale. At the same time, he did not rule out that the attack could take place the next day, while maintaining its scale and precision.

### Preconditions for Escalation

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump stated that Iran had "dragged its feet on concluding a deal for too long." The reason for the sharp change in tone was an incident in the Strait of Hormuz. On Tuesday, June 9, the President reported that a US AH-64 Apache helicopter was shot down by Iran. On the night of June 10, the US launched retaliatory strikes against air defense systems and command posts near the strait, after which Iran attacked US facilities in the Middle East. Both sides temporarily ceased shelling, but the tension remained.

According to Axios, on Wednesday evening, Trump convened a meeting in the Situation Room to discuss new attacks. One of the options under consideration was a large-scale but short-term operation designed to force Iran to change its position in negotiations. Details of the possible strike remain unknown.