Pete Hegseth vows no ‘politically correct wars’ in Iran, but refuses to say how long Trump’s fight will last
Photo by Gage Skidmore, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the current US-Israeli military operation in Iran will be a “politically incorrect war,” while declining to specify how long President Trump’s fight will last. Speaking at a press conference, Hegseth defended the intervention as a shift in approach under the Trump administration.
As detailed by The Guardian, Hegseth, a former host on X, framed the operation, dubbed “Epic Fury,” as a break from past military engagements. He said it would be fought “on our terms, with maximum authorities,” and without the “traditional allies who wring their hands and clutch their pearls hemming and hawing about the use of force.”
The operation marks a significant military intervention in the Middle East, despite President Trump’s past criticism of prolonged wars in the region. Hegseth argued that this campaign would not resemble what he described as the previous generation’s “nation-building” efforts and insisted it would avoid the constraints he believes hindered earlier conflicts.
Hegseth says this is not Iraq but offers no clear end date
Hegseth and other administration officials, including JD Vance, have pointed to their personal experience with America’s “forever wars” as shaping their approach. President Trump has repeatedly criticized the Iraq war, and Vance has suggested the US should not “overlearn the lessons of the past,” signaling a willingness to reconsider long-held assumptions about military restraint.
Neither Hegseth nor President Trump has ruled out deploying “boots on the ground,” though both have said the United States is not seeking regime change or a democratic transition in Iran. The Pentagon has kept force movements vague, including Pentagon troop numbers withheld. Ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon, Iranian ballistic missile attacks across the region, and the reported deaths of four US service members have raised concerns about escalation.
“This is not Iraq. This is not endless. I was there for both,” Hegseth said. He argued that previous conflicts were defined by restrictive rules of engagement and goals centered on democratic transitions, which he said limited the military’s effectiveness.
Hegseth promised “no stupid rules of engagement, no nation building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise, no politically correct wars.” He described the current strategy as focused on achieving objectives without what he characterized as unnecessary constraints.
He also praised President Trump’s approach, saying the president “has shown the ability to do that other presidents can’t quite seem to have the aperture to do,” referring to his handling of escalation and potential off-ramps. However, Hegseth did not provide a firm timeline for the operation’s conclusion.
In the past 48 hours, President Trump has reportedly suggested the conflict could last from several days to four weeks, while also shifting his rhetoric regarding Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Regional developments have been tracked amid war spread across region. When asked directly about a four-week timeline, Hegseth dismissed the question as a “typical gotcha type question.”
He offered a broader range, saying the conflict could last “two weeks, four weeks, or six weeks.” Hegseth concluded by warning that casualties were possible, stating, “War is hell, and always will be.”
Published: Mar 3, 2026 05:00 am