US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered some of his strongest remarks yet as the conflict with Iran entered its fifth day, declaring the campaign was designed to overwhelm Tehran’s military capabilities.
Hegseth predicted that within a week, US and Israeli forces would achieve air dominance over Iran.
“In under a week, we will have complete control of Iranian skies, uncontested airspace,” Hegseth said at a briefing at the Pentagon.
Follow US Iran News LIVE Updates here
He elaborated on what that would mean operationally: “It means we will fly all day, all night, day and night, finding, fixing and finishing the missiles and defense industrial base of the Iranian military.”
“Iran will be able to do nothing about it,” he added.
“The attack on Iran was never meant to be a fair fight,” Hegseth said at the briefing.
“We are punching them while they’re down, which is exactly how it should be,” he added. “They are toast, and they know it, or at least, soon enough, they will know it.”
He said the US and Israel had “only just begun” efforts to “hunt, dismantle, demoralize, destroy and defeat their capabilities.”
Alleged assassination plot and target list
Addressing questions about reports that a targeted leader had allegedly been involved in a plot against President Donald Trump, Hegseth said the US had long known of Iranian efforts to kill the President and other top officials.
“While that was not the focus of the effort by any stretch of the imagination… I ensured, and others ensured that those who were responsible for that were eventually part of the target list,” he said.
He stressed the primary focus remained Iran’s missile and launcher infrastructure but added: “If we have the opportunity to get at those who are trying to get at America specifically, we would.”
No further operational details were provided.
‘Iran cannot outlast us’
Hegseth dismissed suggestions that Iran could endure a prolonged conflict.
“Iran cannot outlast us,” he said, noting the war could continue for “three, four, six or eight weeks.”
“The only limits we have in this is President Trump’s desire to achieve specific effects on behalf of the American people,” he added. “We set the tone and the tempo of this fight.”
He said: “The US is winning, decisively, devastatingly and without mercy.”
Civilian casualty reports under investigation
Hegseth also addressed reports that a strike hit an elementary school in Minab in southern Iran, allegedly killing 168 people.
“All that I know is that we’re investigating that,” he said. “Of course, we never target civilians, but we’re taking a look at investigating that.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that the school was “bombed in broad daylight, when packed with young pupils.”
Over the weekend, United States Central Command said it was reviewing reports of civilian deaths. The Israeli military has not commented.
Air defenses ‘formidable’ but not perfect
Hegseth said US and allied air defense systems have intercepted thousands of Iranian missiles and drones.
“Thousands of Iranian missiles and drones have been intercepted and vaporized,” he said.
He noted that every available counter-drone system had been deployed forward but acknowledged limitations.
“This does not mean we can stop everything.”
