Hegseth: Iran Conflict 'Not Endless' as More US Casualties Expected

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine held a Pentagon press conference on March 2 to address the widening US-Israeli conflict with Iran, seeking to reassure Americans while acknowledging the operation's gravity. Hegseth stressed the administration is wary of comparisons to past Middle East wars, declaring, "This is not Iraq. This is not endless."

The briefing confirmed Operation Epic Fury's objectives: eliminating Iran's ballistic missile capability, destroying its navy, and ensuring it cannot obtain nuclear weapons. Hegseth denied the mission is "regime change," though he noted "the regime sure did change" following the strike that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. However, Trump's video statements urged Iranians to "take back your country," creating mixed messaging.

Caine warned that the military goals "will take some time to achieve, and in some cases will be difficult and gritty work." He confirmed additional forces are arriving in the region as the US builds up its presence. Six American troops have been killed, with 18 seriously wounded, after an Iranian missile struck a fortified operations centre in Kuwait. An investigation continues into the friendly fire incident where Kuwaiti defences downed three US F-15s, whose crews ejected safely.

Hegseth offered no specific timeline, saying Trump has "latitude" to decide—"four weeks, two weeks, six weeks. It could move up. It could move back." Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that "the hardest hits are yet to come." Asked about ground troops in Iran, Hegseth said currently there are none but declined to rule out future options, calling it "foolishness" to publicly disclose operational limits. The administration maintains the strikes target Iran's conventional missile threat, which it says posed a "colossal threat" to US forces and allies.