'We will finish this': Pete Hegseth vows US will stay until mission complete

Looking directly into the camera, Pete Hegseth said he wanted to address the American people directly. He accused the media of wanting Americans to believe “we're somehow spinning towards an endless abyss, or a forever war, or a quagmire”. But, he added, “nothing could be further from the truth”. Hegseth pushed back against criticism that the Trump administration entered the conflict with Iran without a clear objective, saying their goals remain exactly the same as day one: “unchanged”, “on target” and “on plan”.

According to him, those objectives include:

• Destroying missile launchers
• Destroying Iran's defence-industrial base
• Destroying Iran's Navy
• Ensuring 'Iran never gets a nuclear weapon'

The US Defence Secretary also opened the briefing by noting that he and President Donald Trump attended the return of remains of US soldiers killed in the Iran war. Their families, he said, urged leaders to ensure they “do not stop until the job is done”. “Of course, we will finish this,” Hegseth said. “We will honour their sacrifice.”

Comparing Iran’s leadership to Hamas in Gaza, he said the regime has invested heavily in tunnels, rockets, missiles and drones. However, he emphasized that US forces are targeting them “methodically, ruthlessly and overwhelmingly, like no other military in the world can do”. He revealed that the US has struck over 7,000 targets in Iran so far, adding that Thursday would see the largest strike package yet, “just like yesterday”.

Also Read: No smoking gun? How US intel assessment of no Iran nuclear weapon threat is eerily similar to the run-up to Iraq invasion of 2003

“Our capabilities continue to build, Iran's continue to degrade,” he said, adding that Iran’s air defences have been “flattened”. He also stated that Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks against US forces are “down 90% since the start of the conflict”. Hegseth warned that “the last job anyone in the world wants right now” is being a senior Iranian military leader, describing such roles as “temp jobs”.

According to him, the US has damaged or sunk at least 120 Iranian naval ships, leaving their surface fleet “no longer a factor” and their submarines “gone”. “A regime like that, refusing to abandon its nuclear ambitions, is not just a regional problem, it's a direct threat to America, to freedom and to civilisation,” he said. He also added that “the world, the Middle East, our ungrateful allies in Europe, and even segments of our own press should be saying one thing to President Trump, 'thank you'”.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen Dan Caine followed with an operational update, assuring families of fallen soldiers: “Know that we share your grief.” He said US Central Command remains “on plan” and “unrelenting” in targeting Iranian missile systems and naval forces. Caine detailed the use of 5,000lb penetrative weapons designed to break through underground facilities.

He added that US forces are flying deeper into Iranian airspace to “hunt and kill” drone systems. The A-10 Warthog is now targeting fast attack boats in the Strait of Hormuz, while AH-64 Apache helicopters are being used to strike drones and Iran-aligned militia groups in Iraq. Despite progress, Caine acknowledged Iran still retains “some capability” to launch attacks, noting the US continues to “hunt and find them and kill them”.

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