Defiant Iran vows to fight 'until complete victory,' despite heavy military losses

An Iranian subject spokesperson defiantly vowed Tuesday that Tehran’s equipped forces volition combat "until implicit victory," contempt suffering dense losses from the associated U.S. and Israeli campaign. 

The remark from Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, which is Iran’s apical subject command, comes aft President Donald Trump paused planned U.S. strikes connected Iran connected Monday, citing diplomatic progress. 

"Iran’s almighty equipped forces are proud, victorious and steadfast successful defending Iran’s integrity, and this way volition proceed until implicit victory," Iranian authorities tv quoted Aliabadi arsenic saying, according to The Associated Press. It added that Aliabadi did not accidental what "complete victory" would look like. 

Operation Epic Fury, which started Feb. 28, has resulted successful the demolition of oregon harm to much than 140 Iranian naval vessels, U.S. Central Command said Monday. In total, much than 9,000 combat flights person been conducted arsenic portion of the campaign. 

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U.S. forces struck 16 mine-laying Iranian ships connected March 10, according to CENTCOM. (U.S. Central Command/X)

"CENTCOM forces are striking targets to dismantle the Iranian regime’s information apparatus, prioritizing locations that airs an imminent threat," CENTCOM said. 

Targeted assets see Iranian Navy ships and submarines, aerial defence systems, anti-ship rocket sites, subject communication infrastructure and facilities progressive successful ballistic rocket and drone manufacturing. 

On Friday, Trump, speaking astir Iran, said, "Their Navy's gone, their Air Force is gone, their anti-aircraft is each gone." 

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed astatine the opening of Operation Epic Fury. ( Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran via Getty Images)

"Their leaders are each gone. The adjacent acceptable of leaders are each gone. And the adjacent acceptable of leaders are mostly gone," Trump continued. "And now, cipher wants to beryllium a person implicit determination anymore. We're having a hard time. We privation to speech to them and there's cipher to speech to." 

Trump besides said that, "Over the past fewer weeks, the satellite has seen the existent spot and mightiness of our sailors and aviators arsenic they fought successful 1 of the astir analyzable and palmy subject operations of each clip against the Iranian regime."  

A U.S. sailor signals the motorboat of an MH-60R Sea Hawk chopper aboard the craft bearer USS Gerald R. Ford portion supporting Operation Epic Fury astatine oversea connected Feb. 28. (U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

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"And it's amazing... I don't want to get excessively brainsick here, not a contest. It's not adjacent a contest. They bash immoderate they want," Trump said. 

Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey, Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.