Washington, March 4 (NationPress) – On Wednesday, the United States dismissed appeals from both China and Russia to halt hostilities in the ongoing conflict with Iran, stating that the focus remains strictly on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and military capabilities.

During a Pentagon press conference, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth emphasized that the U.S. is not in discussions with Beijing or Moscow regarding this issue, asserting that they are not pivotal to the current situation.

“I don’t have a message for them, and they’re not a factor here,” Hegseth stated in response to inquiries about the call for a ceasefire from Russia and China.

“Our concern is not with them. It’s about Iran's nuclear ambitions,” he asserted.

These comments came as the U.S. military entered the fourth day of operations under Operation Epic Fury, a comprehensive effort aimed at targeting Iran’s missile systems, naval assets, and military infrastructure.

Officials from the U.S. indicated that this campaign commenced after intelligence reports suggested Tehran was not engaging earnestly in negotiations concerning its nuclear program.

“The evidence we gathered since the 12-day conflict indicated that Iran had no genuine intentions of negotiating a nuclear deal that would prevent them from developing a nuclear bomb,” Hegseth remarked.

He indicated that Washington believes Iran continues to advance its nuclear weapons capabilities while maintaining a significant missile arsenal.

“They have thousands of missiles aimed at us,” he noted.

The Pentagon has stated that this military operation aims to neutralize Iran’s capacity to pose a threat to U.S. forces, regional allies, and international shipping routes.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General Dan Caine, noted that the operation has successfully targeted thousands of locations within Iran.

“So far, we’ve engaged over 2,000 targets,” Caine reported.

He added that the campaign has significantly curtailed Iranian missile launches.

“Iran's theatre ballistic missile launches have dropped by 86 percent since the conflict began,” he stated.

U.S. officials emphasize that the focus of the operation is to dismantle Iran’s capability to extend its influence beyond its borders.

“This operation was initiated with specific military objectives aimed at reducing Iran’s capacity to project power outside of its borders, both now and in the future,” Caine elaborated.

The Pentagon also acknowledged the support from several Middle Eastern nations in countering Iranian missile and drone threats, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan.

Despite the early successes on the battlefield, U.S. officials have cautioned that the conflict is still in its infancy.

“We’re just 100 hours in. It’s very early,” Caine remarked.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated sharply in recent months, with the U.S. accusing Iran of seeking nuclear weapons and facilitating attacks against American forces and allies in the region.