U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Monday that there are currently no American ground troops operating inside Iran, while declining to rule out the possibility of a future ground invasion.
Speaking at a Pentagon press conference alongside Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, Hegseth emphasized that the administration does not intend to engage in a prolonged military campaign similar to past conflicts in the Middle East.
“This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” Hegseth said.
He added that the administration’s approach would avoid what he described as previous strategic missteps.
“No stupid rules of engagement, no nation building quagmire, no democracy building exercise, no politically correct wars. We fight to win, and we don’t waste time or lives,” he said.
Military Objectives and Strategy
Hegseth stated that the United States would go “as far as we need to go” to neutralize Iran’s conventional and nuclear capabilities. He also indicated that the administration would limit public disclosure of operational details to avoid revealing strategy.
“We’ll go as far as we need to go to advance American interests,” he said. “But we’re not dumb about it. You don’t need to roll 200,000 people in there and stay for 20 years.”
The briefing marked the administration’s first formal update since early morning strikes on Iran carried out Saturday.
Casualties and Escalation
According to Caine, four U.S. service members have been killed since the conflict began.
“Our deepest heartfelt condolences are with their families,” he said. “We will never forget you.”
Caine also cautioned that the operation is ongoing.
“This is not a single overnight operation,” he said. “We expect to take additional losses.”
In a separate development, Kuwait reportedly shot down three U.S. fighter jets while responding to incoming Iranian fire. U.S. Central Command said all six American pilots ejected safely.
Regional Developments
Iran has continued launching missiles at U.S. allies and military targets across the Middle East. U.S. and Israeli forces have conducted strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure and naval assets.
The strikes also killed several Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Hegseth described the strikes as a response to what he called a long-running conflict with Tehran, while clarifying that the current operation is not intended as a regime-change effort.
Timeline and Next Steps
President Donald Trump said the conflict could last up to four weeks, a timeline Hegseth said could shift depending on developments.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe are scheduled to brief Congress on Tuesday alongside Caine.
