Iran-Israel War: US strikes against Iran not aimed at regime change: Pentagon chief

Iran-Israel War: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday that the country's military strikes on Iran's nuclear sites were not meant for regime change plans. The US has sent private messages to Tehran before the strikes, encouraging them to negotiate, Hegseth said.

Hegseth also warned Iran against retaliation against the United States, and said US forces were postured to defend themselves, and take action if needed.

"This mission was not and has not been about regime change," Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon. The president authorised a precision operation to neutralise the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear program, he said.

The United States military struck three sites in Iran on Sunday, marking its official entry into the Israel-Iran war that started about a week ago.

President Donald Trump was the first to disclose the strikes. Speaking from the White House after the strikes, President Trump dubbed Iran "the bully of the Middle East" and warned that the Islamic Republic “must now make peace.”

Operation ‘Midnight Hammer’

In what has now been called Operation ‘Midnight Hammer’, the US strikes included 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles and over 125 military aircraft.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff US General Dan Cane said at the briefing that initial battle damage assessments indicated that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction, but he declined to speculate whether any Iranian nuclear capabilities might still be intact.

The operation pushes the Middle East to the brink of a major new conflagration in a region already aflame for more than 20 months with wars in Gaza and Lebanon and a toppled regime under President Bashar al-Asad in Syria.

Soon after the US strikes, Tehran responded with a volley of missiles at Israel that wounded scores of people and destroyed buildings in its commercial hub Tel Aviv.

‘Decision to close the Strait of Hormuz’

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council is weighing a decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy chokepoint, in response to US military strikes. The move, if approved, would escalate tensions in the region and risk disrupting nearly 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas shipments.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points. The Strait serves as the primary export route for Gulf producers such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Kuwait.

Increased protection of troops

Caine said at the Pentagon briefing that the US military had increased protection of troops in the region, including in Iraq and Syria.

"Our forces remain on high alert and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks, which would be an incredibly poor choice," he said.

(With Reuters Inputs)