Trump Admin Won’t Let Iran Sort It Out Without Securing US Interests, Hegseth Vows
War Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to the Daily Caller’s question about whether President Donald Trump’s administration would let Iran “work it out” after the strikes.
Trump told CBS News that Operation Epic Fury in Iran could end soon in a March 9 interview, arguing that the conflict is “very far away” from his initial estimate of 4 to 5 weeks. Hegseth told the caller that the consequences of the conflict would be in the interest of “the United States.” The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran starting February 28, killing Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“The president indicated that perhaps the operation would end sooner than he thought. What will be the plan once the United States stops its military action? Will the United States play a role in the aftermath, or will it let Iran sort it out?” asked Reagan Reese, White House correspondent for the Daily Caller.
“Ultimately, the consequences will be in America’s interest, our interests. We will not live in a nuclear blackmail scenario with conventional missiles that can target our people, which is why the targets were set out from the beginning – missiles, missile production, defense industrial base, navy – all to ensure that they do not 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 focused on making sure that these goals and these goals alone are achieved,” he added.
On post-war plans, @PeteHegseth tells me the consequences “will be in America’s interest.”
“We will not live in a scenario of nuclear blackmail with conventional missiles that could 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 declared the operation a success. The president previously said the U.S.-Israeli strikes killed many Iranian leaders, including about 49 senior regime and military officials.
“Iran cannot outlast us. We are going to ensure, through the violence of the action and our offensive and defensive capabilities, as I said, that we set the tone and the tempo of this fight,” Hegseth previously told the Caller.
Seven US service members were killed during Operation Epic Fury. Trump and his administration witnessed the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base on Saturday.
The War Department began publicly identifying the deceased:
- Captain Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida;
- Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Neb.;
- Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota;
- 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, California;
- Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky
