Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has forcefully rejected suggestions that the US military strikes on Iran will lead to an “endless war”, accusing the media and political left of mischaracterising the operation. In a press conference on Monday, Mr Hegseth insisted the campaign was not comparable to conflicts in Iraq and would be conducted on American terms, without “politically correct” constraints.
“To the media outlets and political left screaming ‘endless wars’, stop. This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” Mr Hegseth said. He emphasised that the strikes, which have already resulted in the deaths of four US service members, are aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and protecting American lives.
The defence secretary dismissed suggestions that the operation was motivated by regime change, even as it led to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “This is not a regime change war, but the regime sure did change,” he said. Mr Hegseth encouraged Iranians to seize the moment, adding: “To the people of Iran, this is your moment.”
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Dan Caine provided details on the operation, codenamed “Operation Epic Fury”, which involved over 100 aircraft launched from land, sea and tankers. The strikes began at 9:45am Tehran time on Friday, after President Donald Trump gave final approval at around 3:30pm that day, telling officials: “Operation Epic Fury is approved. No aborts. Good luck. Close.”
When pressed on the duration of the operation, the number of troops involved, or whether US boots were on the ground, Mr Hegseth declined to answer, accusing a reporter of asking a “gotcha-type question”. He said, “Why in the world would we tell you, you, the enemy, anybody, what we will or will not do in pursuit of an objective?”
