- Title: REFILE: U.S. has just begun fight in Iran, Hegseth says
- Date: 5th March 2026
- Summary: TAMPA, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES (MARCH 5, 2026) (UNRESTRICTED POOL) U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, PETE HEGSETH WALKING TO LECTERN (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, PETE HEGSETH, SAYING: "Iran is hoping that we cannot sustain this, which is a really bad miscalculation for the IRGC and Iran." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, PETE HEGSETH
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: Cooper Hegseth iran munitions operation refugees strikes
- Location: TAMPA, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
- City: TAMPA, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES
- Country: US
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,North America,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA001144605032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday (March 5) that Iran was making a mistake if it believed that the United States could not sustain the ongoing war, adding that Washington had just begun to fight.
"Iran is hoping that we cannot sustain this, which is a really bad miscalculation," Hegseth told reporters during a visit to the headquarters of U.S. Central Command.
Hegseth also said that the United States was not expanding its military objectives in Iran, after President Donald Trump told Reuters that the United States must be involved in choosing the next leader of Iran.
"There's no expansion in our objectives. We know exactly what we're trying to achieve," Hegseth said.
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