US's Hegseth refuses to set timeline for military operations in Iran
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the duration of American military operations in Iran remains open-ended, stressing that Donald Trump retains full discretion over the campaign
The United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, declined to define a timeline for American military operations in Iran during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington.
Addressing questions about a potential exit strategy and the risk of being drawn into a prolonged Middle East conflict, Hegseth said the schedule remains flexible. “Four weeks, two weeks, six weeks- it could move forward or backward,” he stated.
Hegseth stressed that Donald Trump retains full authority over the duration of the operation, known as “Epic Fury.” Trump has previously offered varying estimates, suggesting the campaign could last anywhere from a few days to several weeks, while cautioning that timelines could still be adjusted.
On the prospect of a ground operation, the defense secretary said no U.S. troops are currently deployed on Iranian territory, though he did not rule out that option. He explained that publicly excluding certain military scenarios could provide useful intelligence to adversaries.
Asked about the initial strike carried out by the Israel Defense Forces, which resulted in the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Hegseth said Israel “did an excellent job in the course of this operation.”