US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth struck a defiant tone at a Pentagon briefing on March 2, declaring that the United States aims to “destroy Iran’s missiles, navy and deny Tehran nuclear weapons.” He asserted that Washington would dictate the course of the conflict “from start to finish,” warning Iranian forces that this would not be an “endless” war.
Hegseth described the ongoing operation as the “most lethal air power campaign” carried out on American terms, with “no apologies, no hesitation.” He stressed that the objective was to defeat the enemy decisively, rejecting what he termed past “politically correct wars” and nation-building efforts.
The comments followed coordinated US and Israeli strikes targeting multiple military and government sites across Iran. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with several senior military officials, was killed in one of the attacks.
In retaliation, Tehran launched missiles and drones at Israel and US-linked assets across the Gulf, raising fears of a widening regional conflict. The hostilities have also claimed the lives of four American service members.
