After a Secret Front-Line Visit, U.S. Defense Secretary Warns: "The Next Few Days Will Be Decisive for Iran"

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a statement today (Tuesday) and revealed new details from a secret visit he made over the weekend to the Middle East.

At the outset he said: "Over the weekend, I secretly visited our forces on the front line of the fighting in Iran within CENTCOM's area of responsibility. For operational security, this was not publicized in advance for the soldiers' safety. I witnessed fighters—the best of the best—carrying out their mission with courage and with an unparalleled level of execution."

He described meetings with soldiers and intelligence personnel: "I met the people standing at the forefront of defending our country—the fighters who move us a step forward in capability every day. I met a young officer who developed a new method to track maneuvering aerial threats that became a huge success; I met an intelligence analyst who builds a target package before the enemy can hide. I gave him my details and told him to update me personally."

According to him, during the visit two missiles fired at one of the bases where he was staying were intercepted, and he added: "All the soldiers, regardless of religion, race, or gender, told me—'Let's finish this.'"

Hegseth also described a conversation with a pilot on one of the aircraft carriers: "I asked a young pilot what she needs. 'More bombs,' she replied. She will get them." According to him, another soldier told him: "This is a campaign that should have been done a long time ago. We're doing it for the kids."

He noted: "I saw urgency to get the job done, complete the mission, and move as fast as possible to win. I saw motivation there. The spirit of the American fighter has been unleashed."

He also revealed that the three pilots whose plane was mistakenly shot down at the beginning of the campaign have returned to operational activity: "They dropped bombs on Tehran last night." In addition, he noted that over the past 24 hours there has been a decrease in the number of missiles launched by Iran—the lowest since the fighting began.

He went on to say that "the coming days will be decisive for Iran. There's nothing it can do about that." He added that "there has been regime change. Our conditions for an agreement are known. If Iran does not accept them, the War Department will strike even harder. If Iran does not make a deal—the war will continue at higher intensity." He also said: "If Iran is smart, it will close a deal. Trump is not bluffing, and he is not backing down."