Mission accomplished

Pete Hegseth held his first press conference on the war in 12 days today and declared that "regime change has occurred" in Iran. He said the US is focused on pursuing a deal to end the war. It was the Pentagon's sixth briefing since the strikes began on February 28, an unusually low frequency for an active conflict. During previous wars, briefings were daily.

The statement is remarkable for what it implies and what it ignores. Iran launched its 87th wave of regional attacks today, this time from its navy, which a correspondent in Tehran called "a very strong message to the US" proving that claims of having destroyed Iranian naval forces "are not true". The IRGC confirmed the death of its naval commander, Admiral Tangsiri, in a recent Israeli strike. But the navy keeps operating.

Declaring regime change because the supreme leader and dozens of officials were killed is a generous definition. Mojtaba Khamenei assumed power, wounded but alive. Pezeshkian remains president. The IRGC fires missiles. Parliament legislates. A senior Iranian security official told CNN that Tehran will determine when the war ends and is prepared to sustain offensive operations "for an extended period". Hegseth declared victory. Iran did not get the memo.