Hegseth expects more US casualties as he says campaign against Iran 'just the beginning'

WASHINGTON — US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said American military operations against Iran are far from over, warning that the campaign is only starting as the US and Israel continue their strikes into their second week. In an interview aired Sunday on 60 Minutes on CBS News, Hegseth said Iran’s ability to project power in the region is steadily weakening. “Diminishing and will be increasingly diminished. Again, what I want your viewers to understand is this is only just the beginning,” Hegseth said. Hegseth acknowledged that more US lives will likely be lost in the military operation, while reiterating President Donald Trump’s stance on the need for Tehran to surrender unconditionally. According to the Pentagon, more than 50,000 US troops are involved in what it calls Operation Epic Fury, with the US military having already struck about 3,000 targets inside Iran as of Friday. The Pentagon chief said his generation knows “what it’s like to see Americans come home in caskets,” but that “doesn’t weaken us one bit” and the U.S. is prepared to finish the fight. The defense secretary also addressed the issue of sending US ground forces into Iran and said, “We reserve the right,” adding that it would be “completely unwise if we did not reserve the right to take any particular option.” Hegseth said the campaign is proceeding according to plan but rejected suggestions that it is nearing completion. “We’re very much on track, on plan,” he said, adding that the US and Israel possess “overwhelming” military capabilities compared with Iran. “When you combine our air force with the air force of the Israeli Defense Forces, they’re the two most powerful air forces in the world.” He also reiterated Trump’s demand for Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” saying the goal is to render Iranian forces incapable of continuing the fight. “It means we’re fighting to win. It means we set the terms. We’ll know when they’re not capable of fighting,” Hegseth said. The remarks come as regional tensions escalate amid US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets and retaliatory attacks across the Middle East. According to the Pentagon, the US is prepared to continue the campaign as long as necessary to achieve its objectives.Hegseth also warned that casualties are expected as the conflict continues. “The president’s been right to say there will be casualties… There will be more casualties,” he said, adding that such losses “stiffen our spine and our resolve to say this is a fight we will finish.” — Agencies