WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that Iran still retains the ability to launch offensive missiles a month into the war, even as U.S. and Israeli forces have carried out sustained strikes aimed at degrading Tehran’s military capabilities.
“Yes, they will shoot some missiles, but we will shoot them down,” Hegseth told reporters during a briefing at the Pentagon.
The acknowledgment underscores that despite weeks of intensive U.S. operations targeting Iran’s missile infrastructure, the threat has not been fully eliminated and continues to be a factor in the military operation.
Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, told reporters at the briefing that the U.S. military remains focused on “interdicting and destroying” warehouses and building facilities that supply missiles, drones and naval ships to Iran’s forces.
As the campaign continues, thousands of American soldiers have begun arriving in the Middle East as President Trump weighs the next steps in the conflict, while also signaling openness to a diplomatic resolution with Iran.
Hegseth said those diplomatic talks are “very real,” but stressed that the the military pressure will continue alongside those negotiations and that ground operations remain an option.
“Our adversary right now thinks there are 15 different ways we can come at them with boots on the ground. And guess what? There are,” Hegseth said. “If we needed to, we could execute those options on behalf of the president of the United States and this department, or maybe we don’t have to use them at all. Maybe negotiations will work.”
He said the goal it to remain “unpredictable.” Caine added that the presence of U.S. ground forces in the region can serve as a “pressure point” as diplomatic efforts continue.
As U.S. military officials weigh their options on the ground, Trump administration officials have faced challenges in securing support from some U.S. allies, an issue that Hegseth and President Trump have publicly pointed out.
Early on Tuesday, Trump complained that countries have “refused to get involved” in the war and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil route that Iran has closed during the conflict, disrupting global energy markets.
“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!”
In a separate Truth Social post, Trump singled out France for barring Israeli military planes from flying over its airspace.
“The USA will REMEMBER!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
On Tuesday, the Italian and U.K. governments reportedly restricted US. warplanes from landing in their military bases.
At the Pentagon, Hegseth acknowledged that the U.S. military has faced “roadblocks or hesitations” from U.S. allies when asking for assistance or use of their bases — and said the president is simply noting that “we don’t have much of an alliance.”
“A lot has been shown to the world about what our allies would be willing to do for the United States of America when we undertake an effort of this scope on behalf of the free world,” Hegseth said.
