Pete Hegseth says Iran war is 'not a fair fight' and that's 'on purpose' due to US military edge

WASHINGTON, DC: Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth made it clear that the war with Iran is deliberate. He said the conflict is “not a fair fight” and that it's “on purpose.” According to him, the United States has a strong military advantage in the situation.

Hegseth also said the world has “not seen anything yet” when it comes to America’s capabilities against Iran. He suggested that the full power of the US military has not yet been shown. Hegseth said the US strategy is on track and not out of control, despite the doubts and comments from critics.

Hegseth also spoke about the strength of the US and Israel working together. He said that when the US Air Force and Israel’s defense forces operate together, they are “the two most powerful” air forces in the world.

Pete Hegseth warns critics, says the US war plan against Iran remains on track

CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett sat down with Hegseth on '60 Minutes' on Friday, March 6, to discuss the state of the war with Iran. Their conversation covered the progress of the conflict, the possibility of American casualties, and what an Iranian surrender could look like.

During the interview, Hegseth said the US is following its planned strategy in the war. He stressed that the administration is not rushing to declare victory.

"We're very much on track on plan. I was down at CENTCOM. Well, there's no, we're not flying a mission accomplished banner like George W Bush on an aircraft carrier," he said, referring to the moment during the Iraq War when such a banner was displayed, before stressing, "We're not doing that, and we haven't done that, but we can be clear with the American people that this is not a fair fight, and that's on purpose."

Pete Hegseth says the US' capabilities are overwhelming compared to Iran's 

Hegseth also said the military strength of the US is far greater than what has been seen so far in the conflict. "Our capabilities are overwhelming compared to what Iran's are, and frankly, when you combine our Air Force with the Air Force of the Israeli Defense Forces, it's the two most powerful air forces in the world. The ability for us to be up over the top and hunting with more conventional units," he noted. 

He further suggested that the campaign has not yet reached its full scale, noting that more operations could still be carried out. "Gravity bombs- 500-pound, 1,000-pound, 2,000-pound bombs on military targets that we haven't even really begun to start that effort of the campaign, which is going to showcase even more," Hegseth shared. 

Pete Hegseth on the objectives of ‘Operation Epic Fury’

The longer conversation was originally broadcast on '60 Minutes' on Sunday. In the extended footage, Hegseth was seen speaking with Garrett about “Operation Epic Fury,” the ongoing military campaign against Iran.

During the discussion, he described the objective of the conflict and the pressure being placed on Iran.

"This is war. This is a conflict. This is bringing your enemy to their knees. Whether they will have a ceremony in Tehran Square and surrender, that's up to them," Hegseth said.