Hegseth: Iran War 'Only Just Beginning'

The United States is signaling that its expanding military campaign against Iran is entering a longer and potentially more intensive phase. Speaking to CBS News in an interview with Major Garrett, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the scale of current operations—already involving tens of thousands of personnel and thousands of strikes—represents only an early stage of the conflict.

According to the Pentagon, more than 50,000 U.S. military personnel are involved in Operation Epic Fury, while the U.S. military has already struck 3,000 targets inside Iran. Hegseth rejected suggestions that the campaign is nearing completion after comments by House Speaker Mike Johnson that the mission was “nearly accomplished.”

“We’re very much on track, on plan,” Hegseth said, but added that the administration was not declaring victory. “We’re not flying a mission accomplished banner… But we can be clear with the American people that this is not a fair fight. And that's on purpose. Our capabilities are overwhelming compared to what Iran's are.”

The Pentagon describes the campaign as centered on airpower dominance. U.S. and Israeli aircraft are operating simultaneously across Iranian airspace, employing conventional munitions including 500-pound, 1,000-pound, and 2,000-pound gravity bombs. Hegseth indicated that a broader phase of air operations may still be ahead. “We haven't even really begun to start that effort of the campaign,” he said, referring to expanded conventional strikes against Iranian military targets.

The military effort is tied to the demand by U.S. President Donald Trump that Iran accept “unconditional surrender.” Hegseth framed the objective as rendering Iran incapable of continuing the war rather than forcing a formal surrender ceremony.

“It means we're fightin' to win. It means we set the terms… There’ll be a point where they’ll have no choice but to do that. They will be combat-ineffective. They will surrender,” he said.

Iran has rejected the demand. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called Washington’s ultimatum “a dream that they should take to their grave.” The confrontation follows the U.S. announcement on March 1 that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had been killed during the conflict.

Hegseth argued that the roots of the confrontation stretch back decades. “They've been killing us for 48 years… They have unabated nuclear ambitions,” he said, referring to tensions that date to the 1979 Iranian Revolution. He also emphasized that the current campaign is not intended to replicate the state-building efforts seen in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, saying the United States does not aim to remake Iranian society through a long-term occupation.

The war has already expanded across the Middle East. Iran has launched missiles and drones at nearly a dozen countries, including U.S. partners Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. U.S. Central Command officials say Iranian missile activity has dropped sharply, with launch volumes down roughly 90% from earlier peaks during the campaign.

The conflict has also produced casualties on both sides. Six U.S. Army reservists were killed in an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait on March 1, with another service member’s death announced shortly afterward. Hegseth acknowledged that further losses are possible. “Things like this don't happen without casualties. There will be more casualties,” he said.

Iranian casualties have been significantly higher. The monitoring organization Human Rights Activists in Iran estimates more than 1,600 people have been killed, including 168 people—mostly children—killed at a school in southern Iran during a strike in an area under U.S. attack at the time.

U.S. officials have not confirmed responsibility for that incident. Hegseth said the case remains under investigation. “We’re still investigating… but unlike our adversaries, the Iranians, we never target civilians,” he said.

The conflict continues to revolve around Iran’s nuclear program. During Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025, the United States carried out strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. The Trump administration said the attacks had “obliterated” Iran’s enrichment capability.

However, international monitoring groups estimate Iran still holds more than 970 pounds of near-weapons-grade uranium, raising questions about how remaining nuclear material might be secured or destroyed.

Hegseth declined to describe specific operational plans. “I would never tell you or anybody else what our options are,” he said when asked whether the United States might seize or eliminate the remaining stockpile.

The war has also disrupted global energy flows. Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply, have slowed sharply since the conflict intensified. U.S. gasoline prices have risen by about 50 cents per gallon, according to market data cited in the report.

Hegseth said U.S. forces are targeting Iranian naval capabilities in the region. “What was the Iranian Navy is largely no more. There'll be more boats to be sunk, for sure,” he said, arguing that Iran’s ability to project maritime power is steadily diminishing.