Hegseth Maintains Iran Not a 'Quagmire,' Defends $200 Billion Supplemental Ask (Full Presser)

Summary

• Secretary Hegseth asserts the conflict with Iran is not a "forever war" or "quagmire," but a focused military operation ("Epic Fury") with clear, unchanged objectives to destroy Iran's missile/drone capabilities, navy, and defense industrial base.
• Operational metrics cited: Over 7,000 targets struck; ballistic missile & UAV attacks against U.S. forces down 90%; over 120 Iranian navy ships damaged/sunk; 11 submarines destroyed; military ports crippled.
• Hegseth confirms the administration is asking Congress for approximately $200 billion in supplemental war funding, stating "it takes money to kill bad guys" and that funds will replenish and expand munitions stockpiles, reviving the defense industrial base.
• Hegseth frames the conflict as a necessary response to 47 years of Iranian state-sponsored terrorism and a direct threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, crediting the prior "Midnight Hammer" operation for crippling Iran's enrichment capability.
• General Caine provides operational details: Use of 5,000lb penetrator weapons on underground facilities; A-10 Warthogs and AH-64 Apaches now engaged; B-1, B-2, and B-52 bomber crews conducting long-range strikes.
• Hegseth claims the war is creating new strategic options, potentially allowing for a reassessment of future U.S. military posture in the Middle East post-conflict.
• A key risk mentioned is that Iran retains some capability, as evidenced by a recent missile strike on a Saudi oil refinery, highlighting continued regional volatility.
• Oil price impact is noted (nearing $120), linked to an Israeli strike on an Iranian gas field, underscoring how peripheral actions can affect energy markets despite stated U.S. policy to avoid targeting oil infrastructure.