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In a statement on Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hinted at the possibility of deploying ground troops to Iran, while firmly stating that the U.S. is committed to avoiding an “endless” conflict akin to the Iraq War.
During a press briefing, Hegseth was directly asked about the presence of American military personnel in Iran.
“No, but I’m not going to get into specifics about what actions we might take,” he responded.
Hegseth criticized the notion that military strategies should be disclosed publicly, saying, “It’s a longstanding misconception that this department or any administration should broadcast detailed plans to adversaries about our intentions or limits—it’s simply imprudent.”
Drawing on his own experience in Iraq, Hegseth assured that President Trump is determined to avoid repeating historical errors.
“You don’t have to roll 200,000 people in there and stay for 20 years. We’ve proven that you can achieve objectives that advance American interests without being foolish. Now, will we be bold about it? Are we going to be decisive about it? Put months and months of planning into what kind of effects we want to achieve? Absolutely,” he said.
“But going forward, why in the world would we tell you, the enemy, anybody, what we will or will not do in pursuit of an objective.”
Hegseth said the objectives of the military operation were clear: “destroy Iranian offensive missiles, destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure, and they will never have nuclear weapons.”
However, it remains unclear whether Trump has a vision for Iran once those military objectives are completed. He has called on Iranians to stage a revolution against the Islamic regime, which has announced new leadership after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Four Americans have been killed so far in the war. Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine, who also spoke to reporters Monday morning, said more Americans would likely die before it’s over.
“This is not a single overnight operation. The military objectives that CENTCOM and the Joint Force have been tasked with will take some time to achieve, and in some cases, will be difficult and gritty work. We expect to take additional losses, and as always, we will work to minimize U.S. losses. But as the secretary said, this is major combat operations,” Caine said.