The United States has clarified its objectives in the ongoing military operations against Iran, stressing that the campaign is not a nation-building effort like the Iraq war, and warning that more US casualties should be anticipated.
Speaking at a Pentagon briefing on Monday, US defense secretary Pete Hegseth said, operations in Iran are not Iraq and the war is not going be “endless”. He also asserted that US president Trump believes that idea of nation building wars that America was involved in for last 20 years was “dumb.”
“This is not Iraq. This is not endless. I was there for both. Our generation knows better, and so does this president. He called the last 20 years of nation building wars dumb, and he’s right,” he said.
Hegseth described the strikes as a “clear, devastating, decisive mission” focused on destroying Iran’s missile threat, naval capabilities, and preventing nuclear advancement, emphasizing that this is not a regime-change operation.
“This is not a so-called ‘regime change war’ but the regime sure did change and the world is better off for it,” he added.
More losses expected
The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Dan Caine, said the operation “is not a single, overnight operation” and warned that more US casualties are likely.
Four American servicemembers have been killed since US and Israeli strikes began over the weekend, including in a suspected drone attack in Kuwait.
Caine expressed condolences to the families of the fallen, calling them “heroes and representing the best our nation has to offer. They’re true examples of what selfless service means.”
The US military said that the strikes are the result of months and, in some cases, years of deliberate planning.
The top American commander said US forces “delivered synchronized and layered effects designed to disrupt, degrade, deny and destroy Iran’s ability to conduct sustained combat operations on the US side.”
How long the war would be
Hegseth defended the timing of the strikes, saying Iranian officials had stalled negotiations despite multiple opportunities to reach a peaceful deal.
“The former regime had every chance to make a peaceful and sensible deal. But Tehran was not negotiating. They were stalling,” he said.
On the timeline for operations, Hegseth declined to provide specifics. “As far as time frame, I would never hang a time frame,” he said, noting that President Donald Trump retains the latitude to define it.
The US has framed the mission as limited and targeted, focusing on neutralizing specific threats rather than engaging in long-term occupation or reconstruction, signalling a distinct strategic approach compared to past Middle East conflicts.
