US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned on Sunday, March 8, 2026, that American military operations against Iran remain in their early stages and are far from concluded, as the US-Israel joint campaign enters its second week with no immediate end in sight.
In an interview aired on CBS News’ 60 Minutes, Hegseth described Iran’s regional power projection as steadily eroding under sustained US and Israeli strikes, but stressed that the effort is only ramping up.
“Diminishing and will be increasingly diminished. Again, what I want your viewers to understand is this is only just the beginning,” Hegseth said.
According to Pentagon briefings, Operation Epic Fury — the official designation for the US-led campaign — now involves more than 50,000 American troops across multiple theaters in the Middle East. As of Friday, US forces had struck approximately 3,000 targets inside Iran, including missile launch sites, naval facilities, air defense systems, command centers, and IRGC infrastructure. The strikes, combined with parallel Israeli operations, have reportedly neutralized Iran’s entire surface navy and the majority of its visible missile launch platforms, as previously claimed by President Donald Trump.
Hegseth rejected any suggestion that the campaign is nearing completion, insisting that operations are “very much on track, on plan.” He highlighted the combined air superiority of the US and Israeli air forces, describing them as “the two most powerful air forces in the world” when operating together.
“The president’s been right to say there will be casualties… There will be more casualties,” Hegseth acknowledged, referring to Trump’s earlier statements. He framed such losses as inevitable but galvanizing: “They stiffen our spine and our resolve to say this is a fight we will finish.”
The defense secretary reiterated the administration’s core objective: Iran’s “unconditional surrender.” He defined this goal not as regime change per se, but as rendering Iranian military forces “incapable of continuing the fight” and forcing Tehran to accept terms set by the US and its allies.
“It means we’re fighting to win. It means we set the terms. We’ll know when they’re not capable of fighting,” Hegseth explained.
The comments arrive amid unrelenting escalation. Since the February 28, 2026, opening salvo that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and over 1,200 others, Iran has launched repeated missile and drone barrages against US bases, Israeli cities, and regional partners. Retaliatory strikes have included cluster-munition-armed missiles and attacks on energy infrastructure in Gulf states. At least six US service members have been killed in Iranian counterattacks, with additional casualties reported among allied forces and civilians across the region.
The Pentagon has maintained that the US military is prepared to sustain the campaign “as long as necessary” to achieve stated objectives, including the neutralization of Iran’s ability to threaten shipping lanes, regional allies, and global energy security. Recent operations have reportedly focused on degrading remaining missile stockpiles, underground facilities, and proxy command networks.
Hegseth’s appearance on 60 Minutes reinforces the Trump administration’s messaging of overwhelming military dominance and determination, even as global oil prices remain elevated above $100 per barrel, the Strait of Hormuz faces continued threats, and evacuations of foreign nationals from Iran and neighboring countries accelerate.
With Iran’s Assembly of Experts appointing Mojtaba Khamenei as the new Supreme Leader — a move Trump dismissed as unsustainable without US approval — the conflict shows no signs of de-escalation. Hegseth’s warning that the campaign is “only just the beginning” suggests a prolonged and potentially expanding military effort, raising fresh concerns about the war’s duration, humanitarian toll, and broader geopolitical fallout.
