US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has stated that the United States’ recent strikes on Iran were not part of a regime change strategy.
According to details, in a televised statement, Hegseth said: “This mission was never about regime change—neither before, nor now.”
He described the attack as a “precision operation” aimed at protecting US national interests from threats posed by Iran’s nuclear programme.
During a press conference held at the Pentagon, Secretary Hegseth revealed that the US airstrikes were the result of “months of planning,” and involved deliberate misdirection and high-level operational security.
“This was a plan developed over months and weeks of preparation and positioning, so that when the president gave the order, we were ready.”
He emphasised the technical precision required: “It demanded immense precision. The operation involved misdirection and the highest level of operational security. Our B-2 bombers reached Iranian nuclear sites and returned without the world knowing.”
Hegseth claimed that the strikes caused significant damage to Iran’s nuclear weapons infrastructure, calling the mission a “remarkable and overwhelming success.”
– Hegseth says scope of US strike ‘deliberately limited’; Iran still has room for diplomacy –
The US Secretary of Defence, Hegseth, has stated that the scope of the American strike was “deliberately limited”, adding that Iran still has the opportunity to return to the negotiating table.
He emphasised that the United States retains hope that Iran will rejoin talks, where “they clearly understand the steps they need to take” in order to meet US demands.
“I can only confirm that both public and private messages are being conveyed to the Iranians through multiple channels, offering them every opportunity to come to the table,” he told reporters.
Negotiations between the US and Iran regarding Iran’s nuclear programme had been ongoing before Israel launched a surprise strike on Iranian territory earlier this month — a move that was publicly supported by the United States.
Hegseth further underlined that the scope of the US military response was intentionally restricted. “That’s the message we’re sending,” he said. However, he added that the US military’s capabilities remain “virtually unlimited”.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, confirmed the operation was planned and executed across “multiple military domains.”
When asked whether Iran retained any nuclear capability, Caine responded that it was premature to make such assessments before a full damage evaluation.
Caine confirmed that B-2 bombers were launched from the United States on Friday for an 18-hour flight mission.
“‘Operation Midnight Hammer’ involved numerous deception and decoy manoeuvres. High-speed suppression fire was used to protect the B-2s, and Iran did not open fire.”
He added: “Iran’s fighter jets didn’t take off, and it seems their missile systems never detected us,” said General Caine during the Pentagon briefing.
