U.S. War with Iran Escalates Across Seven Nations as Hegseth Vows "Just Getting Started"

WASHINGTON, March 6, 2026 – In a critical overnight address, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared the U.S. is "accelerating, not decelerating" its military campaign against Iran, emphasizing the conflict has "just begun" as fresh hostilities erupted across multiple continents within the last 24 hours. This comes as Iran’s regional aggression triggered a rare diplomatic crisis with Azerbaijan – a key U.S. ally – after two Iranian drones struck civilian infrastructure near Nakhchivan Airport and a village school early Thursday, injuring two civilians and prompting Baku to summon Tehran’s ambassador for a "strong protest" while reserving "retaliatory measures."

The conflict’s geographic spread reached alarming new scope overnight. While Iranian state media falsely claimed a U.S. oil tanker was hit in the Persian Gulf, maritime authorities confirmed the explosion actually damaged the Sonangol Namibe – a Bahamas-flagged vessel near Kuwait – debunking Tehran’s propaganda attempt. Simultaneously, U.S. intelligence verified that Iranian enrichment infrastructure was degraded by recent strikes, shattering Iran’s potential "two-week" weapons-grade uranium timeline, though officials stress Tehran remains "far from a deliverable nuclear bomb."

Civilian casualties continue mounting rapidly, with U.S.-based monitoring group CrisisWatch reporting over 1,000 civilian deaths in Iran since hostilities began, including 180 children. Six U.S. troops have been killed, and Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral remains postponed indefinitely due to ongoing strikes. Hegseth confirmed additional U.S. assets are en route to the region as Israeli operations intensify in Tehran and Lebanon, signaling a dramatic escalation phase.

This reporting adheres strictly to verified developments between March 5, 9:00 PM EST and March 6, 7:00 AM EST. Sources include CBS News live updates, Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry statements, and UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) bulletins.