The Pentagon says it is "not an endless war"

2 minutes of readingUpdated: Mar 3, 2026 07:05 am IST

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Monday that conflict between the United States and Iran “it’s not an endless war,” while addressing the Pentagon press conference. Hegseth said during the conference that the United States’ mission in escalating the conflict is to deny Tehran nuclear weapons and destroy its missiles.

“We are attacking them surgically, overwhelmingly and unapologetically,” Hegseth said during a news conference at the Pentagon.

He also warned that the conflict in Iran “will include casualties” and will only end on ‘America First’ terms. Hegseth, along with Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held the Trump administration’s first news conference since Saturday’s attacks.

The Pentagon chief further added that the United States is not ruling out any option in a war with Iran, insisting that the United States “fights to win.”

Key Highlights from Pete Hegseth’s Briefing

Hegseth, during the briefing, said: “This is not Iraq. This is not endless.” His words came a day after US President Donald Trump told the Daily Mail that the ongoing conflict could end in about four weeks.
Hegseth said the operation had a “clear, devastating and decisive mission” to “destroy the missile threat” from Iran, destroy its navy and “be nuclear free.” “This is not a so-called war of regime change, but the regime certainly changed and the world is better off for it,” Hegseth said.
Addressing the families of American troops killed in combat, the Pentagon chief said: “We mourn with you and we will never forget you.” Meanwhile, Caine said Monday that the United States expected to take additional losses.
Speaking about the timeline of the US-Israel conflict with Iran, Hegseth said it was up to Donald Trump to decide the duration of the military campaign against Tehran.
“No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise, no politically correct wars. We fight to win and we waste no time or lives,” Hegseth said.

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