With escalatory rhetoric and a clear message of strength, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared at a press conference from the Pentagon and declared that Washington did not seek conflict with Iran, but “will finish it.” The statement “We didn’t start this war, but we will finish it” encapsulated the essence of the American position, while his subsequent remarks raised the stakes, as he did not rule out future measures that could include ground forces, refusing to elaborate on what they “will or will not do” next. Simultaneously, he attempted to “lock in” the political narrative that American strikes do not aim for “regime change,” while acknowledging that Iran’s leadership has indeed changed. The message being sent is that the operation is presented as having limited targeting and a clear mission, but with an open operational horizon, depending on battlefield developments and Tehran’s reactions.
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Hegseth: “47 years of war” and accusations of attacks through proxies
Hegseth accused Tehran of “waging war against the United States for 47 years” without formally declaring it. He claimed Iran did so “through the blood of our people,” citing a series of incidents and forms of attack he attributed to Iranian action or Iranian-supported networks, from car bombs in Beirut and rocket attacks on American ships, to assassinations at US embassies and improvised explosive devices in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the same context, he invoked the Quds Force and Revolutionary Guards, claiming they financed and armed attacks on various fronts.
With this line, he attempts to transform the current conflict into a “continuation” of a long confrontation, in order to politically and militarily justify the hard stance. At the same time, he described the American air operation as “the most lethal, most complex and most precise air operation in history,” emphasizing the scale and military magnitude.
US defence chief Hegseth:
– Mission in Iran is to destroy Iran’s missiles, navy, deny Tehran nuclear weapons
– This is not Iraq, this is not endless war
– This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change
– We’ll finish this on America first conditions pic.twitter.com/L9sdqo25r4— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) March 2, 2026
Hegseth: Ground troops, “no regime change” and the “this is not Iraq” message
The American Defense Secretary stated that there are currently no American “ground forces” in Iran, but did not rule out future measures, avoiding public commitment about what will follow. On a political level, he maintained that the strikes do not target regime change, but made the sharp statement that “this is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change,” attempting to present the development as a result rather than a declared objective.
Simultaneously, he connected the American operation with the goal of preventing nuclear threat, arguing that Iran developed powerful missiles and drones to create a “conventional shield” for its ambitions, while accusing Tehran of delaying and “buying time” to strengthen missile stockpiles and restart its nuclear pursuits.
In the most “weighty” message to the American public, Hegseth attempted to cut off any comparison with the Iraq war early. “This is not Iraq,” he said, emphasizing that this is not an “endless” war and that the US will not find itself in a new nation-building quagmire. He described the operation as a “clear, destructive, decisive” mission, with objectives to destroy the missile threat, hit the Navy, and prevent nuclear weapons. Concluding, he also referenced American military casualties, speaking of “America’s finest” and calling for the operation to continue “without apologies, without hesitation.”
With escalatory rhetoric and a clear message of strength, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared at a press conference from the Pentagon and declared that Washington did not seek conflict with Iran, but “will finish it.” The statement “We didn’t start this war, but we will finish it” encapsulated the essence of the American position, while his subsequent remarks raised the stakes, as he did not rule out future measures that could include ground forces, refusing to elaborate on what they “will or will not do” next. Simultaneously, he attempted to “lock in” the political narrative that American strikes do not aim for “regime change,” while acknowledging that Iran’s leadership has indeed changed. The message being sent is that the operation is presented as having limited targeting and a clear mission, but with an open operational horizon, depending on battlefield developments and Tehran’s reactions.
LIVE | Hegseth says the Iranian leadership has built nothing except proxies, missiles, drones, and deeply buried nuclear facilities. pic.twitter.com/7YAV2J8SkD
— SABC News (@SABCNews) March 2, 2026
Hegseth: “47 years of war” and accusations of attacks through proxies
Hegseth accused Tehran of “waging war against the United States for 47 years” without formally declaring it. He claimed Iran did so “through the blood of our people,” citing a series of incidents and forms of attack he attributed to Iranian action or Iranian-supported networks, from car bombs in Beirut and rocket attacks on American ships, to assassinations at US embassies and improvised explosive devices in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the same context, he invoked the Quds Force and Revolutionary Guards, claiming they financed and armed attacks on various fronts.
With this line, he attempts to transform the current conflict into a “continuation” of a long confrontation, in order to politically and militarily justify the hard stance. At the same time, he described the American air operation as “the most lethal, most complex and most precise air operation in history,” emphasizing the scale and military magnitude.
Hegseth: Ground troops, “no regime change” and the “this is not Iraq” message
The American Defense Secretary stated that there are currently no American “ground forces” in Iran, but did not rule out future measures, avoiding public commitment about what will follow. On a political level, he maintained that the strikes do not target regime change, but made the sharp statement that “this is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change,” attempting to present the development as a result rather than a declared objective.
Simultaneously, he connected the American operation with the goal of preventing nuclear threat, arguing that Iran developed powerful missiles and drones to create a “conventional shield” for its ambitions, while accusing Tehran of delaying and “buying time” to strengthen missile stockpiles and restart its nuclear pursuits.
In the most “weighty” message to the American public, Hegseth attempted to cut off any comparison with the Iraq war early. “This is not Iraq,” he said, emphasizing that this is not an “endless” war and that the US will not find itself in a new nation-building quagmire. He described the operation as a “clear, destructive, decisive” mission, with objectives to destroy the missile threat, hit the Navy, and prevent nuclear weapons. Concluding, he also referenced American military casualties, speaking of “America’s finest” and calling for the operation to continue “without apologies, without hesitation.”
