The US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, has declared that the United States is winning in the fight against Iran, but he declined to provide a timeline as to when the war would end, stressing that the decision lies with President Donald Trump. 

 

Hegseth told reporters yesterday that the US is focused on three main objectives: to neutralise Tehran’s missile capabilities, destroy its navy and permanently deny Iran nuclear weapons forever. He said, US will not relent until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated.

 

Despite Washington’s repeated assertions that Iran is being defeated, Iranian leaders have projected defiance, promising to continue to fight back. Iran has consistently denied seeking a nuclear weapon and says its programme is peaceful. Following US strikes on several key Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, Trump claimed that the US had obliterated the Iranian nuclear programme.