Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered shifting timelines on how long U.S. combat operations in Iran could last, declining to say exactly how long U.S. forces will be involved in the ongoing fight.
“President Trump has all the freedom in the world to talk about how long it could take, four, two or six weeks. It could be brought forward or delayed,” Hegseth told reporters at a press conference at the Pentagon. “We are going to execute, under his orders, the objectives that we have set out to achieve, and what he has proven himself capable of doing, something that other presidents do not seem to have the ability to do well.”
Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, reiterated on Monday that the joint US-Israeli operation will continue until Trump believes that all objectives have been met, but to date he has not outlined exactly what they are.
Trump himself has proposed several possible timelines for the US conflict with Iran, suggesting in multiple interviews on Sunday that it could extend by four to five weeks.
Meanwhile, Hegseth was asked specifically about the US exit strategy, but largely avoided the question. He said the mission is “very clear” to the U.S. military, but he would not elaborate on military plans.
“The mission of our fighters, which is what matters to us, is very, very clear, and they are executing it right now, violently,” Hegseth said.
“We know that we have plans, we have generals, we have presidents, we have commanders, commanders of the United States Central Command, Admiral [Brad] “Cooper, who is executing very deliberately to ensure that the results that I presented are achieved, but we would never explain in front of a press group how long that could take,” the Defense Secretary added.
