Secretary of War Pete Hegseth provided some insight on the United States’ plans once it concludes its operations in Iran to the Daily Caller
President Donald Trump told CBS News that Operation Epic Fury in Iran could be over soon in a March 9 interview, arguing that the conflict is “very far” ahead of his original 4-5 week estimate. Hegseth told the Caller that the aftermath of the conflict will be in the “U.S. interests.” The U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran beginning Feb. 28, killing Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the process.
“The president has indicated that maybe the operation will wrap up sooner than he thought it was going to. What’s the plan once the U.S. stops military action? Will the U.S. play a role in the aftermath, or will they leave Iran to sort it out?” Daily Caller White House correspondent Reagan Reese asked.
“Ultimately, the aftermath is going to be in America’s interests, our interests. We won’t live under a nuclear blackmail scenario of conventional missiles that can target our people, which is why the objectives have been scoped from the beginning — missiles, missile production, defense industrial base, navy — all in service of ensuring they don’t have nuclear power projection capabilities,” Hegseth told the Caller.
“That’s what matters to President Trump. That’s what matters to the American people. And ultimately, that’s why we’re so laser-focused on ensuring those objectives and those objectives alone are met,” he added.
On post war plans, @PeteHegseth tells me the aftermath is “going to be in America’s interests.”
“We won’t live under a nuclear blackmail scenario of conventional missiles that can target our people.” pic.twitter.com/4XmdLEmbNV
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) March 10, 2026
Operation Epic Fury is in its eleventh day. The administration has repeatedly said the operation has been successful. The president previously said that the U.S.-Israeli strikes took out many in Iran’s leadership, including about 49 senior regime and military officials.
“Iran cannot outlast us. We’re going to ensure through violence of action and our offensive capabilities and our defensive capabilities, as I said, that we set the tone and the tempo of this fight,” Hegseth previously told the Caller.
Seven U.S. service members have been killed during Operation Epic Fury. Trump and his administration attended the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base on Saturday.
The Department of War began publicly identifying the deceased:
- Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Fla.;
- Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Neb.;
- Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minn.;
- Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa;
- Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa;
- Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, Calif.;
- Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky
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