Hegseth: Iran campaign only the start as US, Israel expand strikes

2026-03-09 - 08:42

The United States is far from concluding its military actions against Iran, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who described the ongoing joint operations with Israel as "just the beginning" of a sustained campaign to degrade Tehran's military capabilities. In an interview aired on CBS's "60 Minutes," Hegseth asserted that Iran's ability to exert influence across the Middle East is steadily diminishing. "Diminishing and will be increasingly diminished," he stated, adding that the scale of the operation, dubbed "Operation Epic Fury" by the Pentagon, involves more than 50,000 US personnel and has already targeted approximately 3,000 sites within Iran as of last Friday. Hegseth outlines plan for 'unconditional surrender' The defense secretary reaffirmed that the campaign is proceeding on schedule but rejected notions of an imminent conclusion. "We're very much on track, on plan," he said, highlighting the combined air power of the US and Israeli forces as "overwhelming" compared to Iran's. He also reiterated President Donald Trump's call for Tehran's unconditional surrender, aiming to render Iranian forces incapable of continuing hostilities. Hegseth cautioned that further casualties are inevitable, stating, "There will be more casualties," and that such losses only strengthen American resolve. Pentagon signals readiness for prolonged conflict The remarks come amid escalating tensions across the Middle East, with US and Israeli strikes drawing retaliatory actions from Iranian-backed groups. The Pentagon has signaled readiness to sustain the offensive as long as necessary to achieve its objectives. Hegseth emphasized that the ultimate goal is to ensure Iran can no longer pose a threat, declaring, "It means we're fighting to win. It means we set the terms."