Trump will decide how long Iran lasts, says Hegseth

Investing.com -- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday declined to provide a timeline for the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, stating that President Donald Trump holds the authority to determine the operation's duration.

Speaking to reporters, Hegseth emphasized the complexity of the military operation. "It won't happen overnight, this is a big battle space," he said, adding that he would never hang a time frame on the Iran operation.

The defense secretary confirmed that Iran possesses long-range strike capabilities and disclosed that Iranian weapons struck a tactical operations center, resulting in U.S. casualties. However, Hegseth clarified that there are no U.S. boots on the ground in Iran.

When asked about the scope of military options, Hegseth said the United States is not ruling out any options in the war with Iran. "We fight to win," he added.

Hegseth noted that Trump has latitude to determine the time frame of the Iran operation.

Addressing concerns about regional allies, Hegseth said the U.S. will stand shoulder to shoulder with allies when asked about protecting Kurds in the region.

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