▲ U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon near Washington on March 31, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon near Washington on March 31, 2026. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Hegseth-Iran war

(LEAD) Hegseth: Upcoming days in Iran war will be 'decisive,' U.S. keeps all options open

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in 2nd para)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the upcoming days will be "decisive" in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, noting that the United States is not ruling out any options amid speculation about potential "boots on the ground" in the Islamic Republic.

During a press briefing at the Pentagon alongside Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, Hegseth also warned that if Iran is not willing to make a deal with the U.S. to end the war, the U.S. military operation will continue with "even more intensity."

"Just one month in, only one month, we set the terms. The upcoming days will be decisive," the secretary said.

"Iran knows that there's almost nothing they can militarily do about it. Yes, they will still shoot some missiles, but we will shoot them down."

Hegseth stressed that the Trump administration leaves all options on the table, as it has been ratcheting up pressure on Tehran to accept a peace deal to end the war amid fears of a prolonged war in the Middle East and the conflict's impact on oil prices and inflation.

"We are not going to foreclose any option," he said. "You can't fight and win a war ... (by telling) your adversary what you are willing to do or what you are not willing to do, (including) boots on the ground."

His remarks came as the Pentagon has sent thousands of additional U.S. troops to the Middle East in what officials call an effort to give the president "maximum optionality," spawning speculation that they could be sent into Iran for what could be risky ground operations.

The Pentagon chief said the U.S. has "15 different ways" to put boots on the ground in Iran, but he did not elaborate.

"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, or maybe negotiating this would work, or maybe there's a different approach," he said.

Mentioning "lessons" from past wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hegseth underscored that Trump will not repeat the mistakes.

Commenting on the time frame for achieving the U.S. objectives in the war against Iran, he reiterated that the U.S. is "well on our way."

"We said four to six weeks, six to eight weeks ... It could be any particular number, but we would never reveal precisely what it is because our goal is to finish those objectives," he said.

Hegseth noted the need for other countries, which rely on the Strait of Hormuz for energy imports, to contribute to securing the waterway, saying that the issue surrounding the crucial waterway is "not just the United States of America problem set."

"We've been willing to lead. President Trump led the entire time, but it's not just us," he said.



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