Washington, March 31 : The United States is intensifying strikes on Iran while pursuing a deal to end Tehranâ??s nuclear ambitions, the White House said Monday, describing a dual-track approach of military pressure and diplomacy.â??

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the ongoing operation was â??moving ahead successfully and according to planâ??, with more than â??11,000 enemy targetsâ?? struck so far.â??

She said the campaign had sharply degraded Iranâ??s military capabilities. Ballistic missile and drone attacks were â??down by roughly 90 per centâ??, while US forces had destroyed â??more than 150â?? naval vessels, leaving Iranâ??s navy â??combat ineffectiveâ??.â??

â??Our military continues to obliterate Iranâ??s defence industrial base,â?? she said, adding that â??nearly 70 per centâ?? of its missile, drone and naval production facilities had been damaged or destroyed.â??

Leavitt said US and Israeli forces had â??asserted air dominance over Iranâ??, completing more than â??11,000 successful combat flightsâ??.â??

At the same time, she confirmed that talks with Iran were continuing. â??Talks are continuing and going well,â?? she said, noting that â??what is said publicly isâ?¦ much different than whatâ??s being communicated to us privatelyâ??.â??

President Donald Trump has issued a â??ten-day pauseâ?? on planned strikes targeting Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure to allow space for negotiations, she said.â??

Leavitt described the moment as â??a truly once-in-a-generation opportunityâ?? for Iran to â??permanently abandon their nuclear ambitionsâ??.â??

But she warned that if Tehran rejects a deal, â??the greatest military in the history of the world continues to stand byâ?¦ to ensure this regime continues to pay a grave price one way or anotherâ??.â??

She said the Pentagonâ??s timeline for the operation remained â??4 to 6 weeksâ??, with the campaign now on â??day 30â??.â??

â??The mission will continue until the objectives are achieved,â?? she said, listing goals including destroying Iranâ??s navy, dismantling its missile and drone infrastructure, and preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon.â??

Leavitt also stressed that diplomacy remained central. â??The President has always said that diplomacy is his number one option,â?? she said, while adding that military operations would continue alongside negotiations.â??

She said the administration was testing private assurances from Iranian interlocutors, warning that any commitments would be verified.â??

The White House also linked the military campaign to broader strategic aims, including ensuring Iran â??can no longer control the worldâ??s free flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuzâ??.â??

The current escalation marks one of the most significant US military campaigns against Iran in decades, amid longstanding tensions over Tehranâ??s nuclear ambitions and regional role.â??

For India, developments in the Gulf remain closely watched, given its dependence on energy imports and the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz for global oil supply chains.

/IANS