At a Monday morning press conference, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended President Donald Trumpâs strikes on Iran and rejected warnings that the conflict could become an âendless war.â Hegseth said the operation would prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and harming Americans, while acknowledging the operation has already killed four U.S. service members.
Hegseth criticized media questions about the goal, the number of U.S. troops involved, and anticipated end dates, declining to provide specifics. Asked whether U.S. troops were on the ground in Iran, he refused to answer directly, arguing that disclosing such information would inform âthe enemy.â
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine provided operational details, stating Trump gave final approval around 3:30 p.m. Friday with an order to proceed. Caine said thousands of U.S. troops across branches supported the operation, including more than 100 aircraft launched from land, sea, and tankers. He said strikes began at 9:45 a.m. Tehran time and warned additional U.S. casualties were likely.
Officials said the stated objective was to eliminate Iranâs ability to build a nuclear weapon, and the operation also resulted in the death of Iranâs Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hegseth encouraged Iranians to seize the moment for regime change while saying it was not a âregime change war.â