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'Point is to be unpredictable': Pete Hegseth on deploying US troops as Iran war escalates
However, the war secretary added that the US remains committed to ending the conflict on “our and Trump's terms.”
As the war with Iran continues, uncertainty over the deployment of American troops in Iran remains a key focus. Addressing these concerns, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth on Tuesday said that the key is to “be unpredictable.”
The US official's remark echo US President Donald Trump, who has stated that while he does not wish to send troops to Iran, even if he does, he “will not tell anyone.”
This is not the first time the US has played on the element of surprise. During a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Trump was asked by Washington whether it had informed its allies of the strike on Iran.
In his response, the US President brought up the Pearl Harbour attack as the Japanese PM visibly winced.
“We wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan, OK? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?” Trump turned to ask asked Takaichi, who appeared uncomfortable.
Talks with Iran “gaining strength”
In a briefing on US' operation in Tehran, Hegseth added that the United States is engaged in talks to end the conflict. However, he added that if a deal is not struck, Washington was ready to continue Operation Epic Fury for another four to eight weeks.
During the press conference, Hegseth stated that the talks to end the war are ongoing and “gaining strength.” However, the war secretary added that the US remains committed to ending the conflict on “our and Trump's terms.”
In the same briefing, US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said that Washington continues to destroy Iran's ability to project power.
"We've taken out more than 150 ships, including all Jamaran class frigates inside their navy... We continue to prosecute our campaign against their defence industrial base at scale. This includes factories, warehouses, nuclear weapons R&D labs, and the associated infrastructure required for Iran to reconstitute its combat capability," said Caine.
