Pete Hegseth at press briefing
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday claimed that American and Israeli forces were moving swiftly to dominate Iranian airspace, while acknowledging that some incoming drones and missiles could still evade interception.Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Hegseth said, “Starting last night, and to be completed in a few days… the two most powerful air forces in the world [US, Israel] will have complete control of Iranian skies.”
“This does not mean we can stop everything,” he said, adding that maximum force protection had been established before offensive operations began.Further reiterating their claims that Iran wanted to “kill” Trump the defence secretary added, “We’ve known for a long time that Iran had intentions on trying to kill President Trump…while that was not the focus of the effort by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, never raised by the President…I ensured that those who were responsible for that were eventually part of the target list.”Hegseth suggested the conflict could last longer than initially anticipated, saying it might run eight weeks, though he declined to commit to a fixed timeline. “You can say four weeks, but it could be six, it could be eight, it could be three,” he said, adding that the US would set the “pace and tempo” of operations.Additional US forces, including fighter jets and bombers, are continuing to deploy to the region, he saidHis comments came as US officials warned that further American casualties were possible in a conflict that appears set to continue for weeks. President Donald Trump has indicated the campaign could last a month or longer, while defence leaders suggested the timeline would depend on battlefield developments.Gen Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said US personnel in the region remained exposed to risk.Six American soldiers were killed Sunday when an Iranian drone struck an operations centre at a civilian port facility in Kuwait, several miles from a major US base. A family member of one of the victims said the site was a temporary container-style structure without dedicated defensive protection.Hegseth said additional US aircraft, including fighters and bombers, were continuing to deploy to the region as part of a broader build-up. He suggested the conflict could extend to six or eight weeks, though he declined to fix a specific timeframe, saying the duration would depend on how events unfold.Tehran has threatened to target military and economic infrastructure across the Middle East, signalling that the confrontation could widen further.Hegseth also referred to prior intelligence about alleged Iranian threats against Trump, saying individuals linked to those plots were ultimately included in targeting considerations, though he indicated the issue was not central to the current campaign.
