U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that ongoing military operations against Iran will not become an “endless war,” describing a campaign focused on destroying Tehran’s missiles, navy and security infrastructure while U.S. commanders warned the effort will take time and carry a human toll.
“We’re hitting them surgically, overwhelmingly and unapologetically,” Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. “This is not Iraq. This is not endless.” He emphasized the mission is not an attempt to build democracy in the Islamic Republic, but to degrade Iran’s ability to project force.
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Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, cautioned that the operation will be protracted and difficult, with additional U.S. casualties expected. He said the United States continues to deploy more forces to the Middle East even after a recent surge. “This is not a single overnight operation,” Caine said. “The military objectives that CENTCOM and the Joint Force have been tasked with will take some time to achieve, and in some cases will be difficult and gritty work.”
The Pentagon confirmed a fourth U.S. service member died Monday from injuries sustained during the operation. Caine said American forces have established local air superiority over Iran following successive strikes. That advantage, he added, “will not only enhance the protection of our forces, but also allow them to continue the work over Iran.”
The military posture comes as President Donald Trump expressed frustration with Britain over access to a key base. In an interview reported by the Daily Telegraph, Trump said he was “very disappointed” with Prime Minister Keir Starmer for initially blocking the use of the Diego Garcia air base for U.S. strikes on Iran. Britain had reportedly refused permission at first, but Starmer later said he would allow the bases to be used for any “defensive” action against Iranian targets.
Trump said it took “too long” for Starmer to shift position. “That’s probably never happened between our countries before,” he was quoted as saying, adding: “It sounds like he was worried about the legality.”
The president also claimed some figures within Iran’s leadership want to open talks with Washington, even as Tehran signaled no appetite for negotiations under current conditions. On Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said a leadership council — comprising himself, the head of the judiciary and a member of the powerful Guardian Council — had temporarily assumed the duties of the Supreme Leader.
On Monday morning, Ali Larijani, a former adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, posted on X that Tehran would not negotiate with Trump, calling the U.S. president’s stance “delusional ambitions” and saying he is now concerned about American casualties.
The dueling statements capture a conflict that U.S. commanders say will be methodical rather than rapid, with Washington seeking to dismantle core elements of Iran’s military without becoming mired in a broader occupation or political project. Hegseth’s pledge of a finite campaign, Caine’s warning of “gritty work,” and the reported allied fissures over basing rights underscore the risks and scope of an operation that has already cost American lives and could demand more as objectives unfold.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
