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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned that the ongoing U.S. military operation against Iran is expected to result in further casualties, with the conflict having already claimed the lives of seven American service members.
In an interview aired on CBS News’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday, Hegseth supported the president’s cautionary statement regarding potential casualties. “Things of this magnitude are not without sacrifice,” Hegseth remarked, emphasizing the inevitability of losses.
He further stated, “There will be more casualties, and while it is painful to witness Americans returning home in caskets, it only strengthens our determination. Our generation understands this solemn reality, yet we remain resolute in our commitment to see this mission through.”
The recent military actions saw the U.S. and Israel launch strikes against Iran, a move that followed escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington. These tensions were exacerbated by President Donald Trump’s previous strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites last year.
Iran responded to these U.S. and Israeli actions by launching attacks on Israel and several Gulf nations, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, further intensifying the regional conflict.
On Sunday, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) announced that a seventh U.S. service member had died in the conflict with Iran. Centcom said on social media that the service member died as a result of “injuries received during the Iranian regime’s initial attacks across the Middle East” on March 1.
The service member had been “seriously wounded at the scene” of an attack from Iran in Saudi Arabia targeting American troops, per the command.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi on Sunday said Iran could possibly defend itself if a U.S. ground incursion happens.
“For the time being we are capable enough. We have very brave soldiers, who are waiting for any enemy who enters into our soil to fight with them, and to kill them and destroy them,” Araghchi said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Trump administration officials, including Trump himself, have not denied the possibility of sending ground troops into Iran.
“[It would] have to be [for] a very good reason. And I would say if we ever did that, they would be so decimated that they wouldn’t be able to fight at the ground level,” the president told reporters on Saturday.