US Edition
Hegseth says ‘there will be more casualties’ in Iran operation
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth justified U.S. combat operations in Iran by downplaying casualties and dismissing rules of engagement amid early 2026 conflict escalation.
- Pete Hegseth said additional U.S. casualties are likely in the ongoing conflict with Iran, noting that seven American service members have already died and warning that such losses are expected in war.
- The fighting began after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran following months of tensions, with Iran responding by attacking Israel and Gulf countries including Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
- Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Tehran is ready to defend itself if U.S. ground forces enter the country, while Donald Trump and his administration have not ruled out the possibility of deploying troops.
34 Articles
34 Articles
"There never was a plan" behind war in Iran, analyst says
Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, Barbara Slavin, Distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, says that "the skyrocketing price of oil, the collapse of the stock market, the increasing casualties and the Iranian ability to continue to hit infrastructure are beginning to sober up" US President Donald Trump, adding that "there never was a plan" behind the United States war on Iran.
Hegseth Warns ‘More Casualties’ Should Be Expected in Iran Operation
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that more American casualties can be expected in the ongoing war in Iran after seven service members were killed during Operation Epic Fury. “There will be more casualties,” he said in an interview with “60 Minutes” aired on March 8. “And no one is, I mean, especially our generation knows what it’s like to see Americans come home in caskets … but that doesn’t weaken us one bit. It stiffens our spine and ou…
Hegseth expects more US casualties as he says campaign against Iran 'just the beginning'
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.
The Conversation
I’ve studied MAGA rhetoric for a decade, and this is what I see in Hegseth’s boasts, action-movie one-liners and gloating over dominance
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth responds to questions about the Iran war in a March 2, 2026, press conference. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty ImagesWhen Secretary of Defense James Mattis addressed the intensification of U.S. combat operations against the Islamic State group in 2017, he assured the American public of his commitment to “get the strategy right” while maintaining “the rules of engagement” to “protect the innocent.” Mattis’ profe…
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