American Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, stated on Monday that American attacks on Iran do not aim for a „regime change” in that country.
„This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime has certainly changed, and the world is better off because of it,” Hegseth said on Monday at a press conference held at the Pentagon.
The Pentagon chief also argued that the Iranian regime has been waging a "long 47-year war" against the US.
"They've done it through the blood of our people: car bombs in Beirut, rocket attacks on our ships, crimes at our embassies, roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan, funded and armed by the Iranian Quds Force and the IRGC killers," Hegseth said, as quoted by CNN.
It's Not the US Who Started the War
"We did not start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it," Hegseth emphasized, calling the American airstrike against Iran "the deadliest, most complex, and most precise airstrike in history."
Hegseth pointed out that Iran "was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions." "Iran had a conventional gun to its head while trying to lie to get a nuclear bomb," he mentioned.
Message to Those Criticizing the US
Pete Hegseth attacked the press and the "political left" who criticized the decision to attack Iran, stating that this conflict "is not endless." He also criticized comparisons to US involvement in Iraq between 2003 and 2011, invoking Donald Trump's description of the war in Afghanistan.
"To the media institutions and the political left screaming endless wars - stop. This is not Iraq. This is not endless. We've been there for both. Our generation knows better, and so does this president. He called the last 20 years of nation-building wars stupid. And he's right. It's the opposite," Hegseth said.
He emphasized that this operation has a "clear, devastating, decisive mission," which is to "destroy the missile threat, destroy the navy, without nuclear weapons."
A "Pointer" to London
"And Israel has clear missions, for which we are grateful," he added.
"Capable partners, as I've said from the beginning. Capable partners are good partners, unlike so many of our traditional allies who wring their hands and clutch their pearls, hesitating and hesitating about the use of force," he continued, alluding to the delayed permission London granted the United States to use air bases on the island.
America Acts on Its Terms
The US, regardless of "what the so-called international institutions say," is launching "the deadliest and most precise air power campaign in history," he added - all "on our terms," Hegseth emphasized.
"No stupid engagement rules, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy-building exercises, no politically correct wars. We fight to win and don't waste time or lives," he added.