U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters on Monday that he would not provide a schedule for the military campaign being conducted with Israeli forces against Iran, stressing that final authority over the operation’s length rests with President Donald Trump.
Describing the scope of the effort, Hegseth emphasized that the campaign is extensive and will not conclude quickly. "It won’t happen overnight, this is a big battle space," he said, and added that he would never hang a time frame on the Iran operation.
The defense secretary confirmed that Iran has long-range strike capabilities. He said Iranian weapons struck a tactical operations center, an attack that produced U.S. casualties. At the same time, Hegseth clarified that there are no U.S. boots on the ground in Iran.
When asked about the range of military responses under consideration, Hegseth said the United States is not excluding any options in the conflict with Iran. "We fight to win," he added, reiterating the administration's posture toward the campaign.
Hegseth also returned to the question of decision authority, noting that President Trump has the latitude to set the time frame for the operation against Iran.
On regional partnerships and the protection of allied groups, Hegseth addressed concerns about Kurds in the area, saying the United States will stand shoulder to shoulder with allies when asked about protecting Kurds in the region.
Reporting on these developments, the defense secretary framed the campaign as a complex, ongoing military undertaking directed at long-range threats and conducted with allied partners, while underscoring both the confirmed presence of Iranian strike capability and the absence of U.S. ground forces inside Iran at this time.