US ‘will finish’ war with Iran, says Hegseth after Operation Epic Fury

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday accused Iran’s “expansionist and Islamist” regime of waging a one-sided war against the United States for 47 years, warning that while America did not start the conflict, it would finish it and would never allow Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons.

Speaking at the Trump administration’s first formal Pentagon briefing since Saturday’s strikes, Hegseth said Iran had long used conventional military capabilities to shield what he described as its nuclear ambitions.

Hegseth appeared alongside Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, following the launch of Operation Epic Fury — a coordinated US operation carried out with Israel targeting Iranian military infrastructure.

According to US officials, the operation struck ballistic missile facilities, naval assets and key security installations. Iranian state media have reported the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials, though independent confirmation remains limited.

“Two days ago, under the direct orders of President Donald Trump, the Department of War launched Operation Epic Fury — the most lethal, complex and precise aerial operation in history,” Hegseth said.  

Hegseth said President Trump ‘has guts’ saying the enemy is unmasked but said this is not a 'regime change' war. He said this is not an "endless" war. 

He described the mission as “clear, devastating and decisive”, aimed at destroying Iran’s missile threat, neutralising its naval capacity and ensuring that Tehran does not obtain nuclear weapons.

“For 47 long years, the regime in Tehran has waged a savage, one-sided war against America,” Hegseth said, citing past attacks on US personnel and facilities in the Middle East.

He stressed that the campaign was not intended as a regime change war, nor would it be an 'endless' conflict. 

“We did not start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it,” he said, adding that any actor threatening Americans would be pursued without hesitation.

Hegseth also criticised the 2015 nuclear agreement brokered under former President Barack Obama, describing it as a failed deal that nearly enabled Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“Iran was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions,” he said, adding that the current campaign is focused on dismantling missile production facilities, naval forces and critical security infrastructure.

President Trump has not taken questions on camera since the operation began, though he has issued statements and conducted select interviews, according to US officials.