U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday there has been no expansion of U.S. military objectives in Iran, stressing that the United States "knows exactly what we're trying to achieve." His clarification came after President Donald Trump said in a telephone interview that the United States would have to help choose Iran's next leader.
Earlier this week the Pentagon outlined the aims of the military campaign, identifying it by the name Operation Epic Fury. According to that Pentagon statement, the campaign is concentrated on destroying Iran's offensive missile systems, degrading missile production infrastructure and targeting its naval forces, with an overarching aim of preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Hegseth addressed the relationship between the administration's public comments and the military mission, saying "There’s no expansion in our objectives. We know exactly what we’re trying to achieve." He also commented on the president's remarks about Iran's leadership, saying Trump was "having a heck of a say in who runs Iran given the ongoing operation."
Officials report that in the past six days U.S. forces have struck more than 2,000 targets inside Iran, a tally that has included Iranian warships. The scale of the strikes and the stated targets - missiles, missile production and naval assets - align with the Pentagon's described objectives for Operation Epic Fury.
From an industrial and supply-chain perspective, those objectives and the tempo of operations relate directly to sectors that provide missile systems, naval platforms and associated sustainment logistics. The public messaging from both military and civilian leaders has been carefully framed to outline the scope of operations while also raising questions about political statements and their potential impact on perceptions of mission intent.
Summary: The defense secretary reaffirmed that U.S. military aims in Iran have not changed, emphasizing a focused campaign against missiles, missile production and naval forces, while the president said the United States would have to help pick Iran's next leader. U.S. forces have struck more than 2,000 targets in six days, including warships.
- Operation: Operation Epic Fury is described as targeting offensive missiles, missile production and the Iranian Navy.
- Political comments: The president said the United States would have to help choose Iran's next leader; the defense secretary reiterated no expansion of military objectives.
- Strike tempo: Over 2,000 targets have been hit in six days, including naval vessels.