Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that more American casualties are expected as U.S. military operations against Iran continue, while Former U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen warned the conflict could last for years.
US Casualties Rise In Iran Conflict
On Sunday, Hegseth acknowledged the growing human cost of the conflict in an interview on CBS News’ 60 Minutes, saying losses are an unavoidable part of major military operations.
“The president’s been right to say there will be casualties. Things like this don’t happen without casualties,” Hegseth said.
He added, “There will be more casualties, and no one is — I mean, especially our generation knows what it’s like to see Americans come home in caskets.”
Hegseth said that the losses would not weaken U.S. resolve. “But that doesn’t weaken us one bit. It stiffens our spine and our resolve to say this is a fight we will finish,” he said.
Mullen warned that the escalating U.S. conflict with Iran could become a lengthy war, saying recent American military campaigns show that such conflicts rarely end quickly.
Speaking on ABC’s This Week, Mullen said there are many unpredictable factors at play, including the security of U.S. allies and the stability of the global economy.
“We’ve got friends and allies out there. We’ve got the economy of the world, in great part, depending on the open waters at the Strait of Hormuz and how markets react to this,” Mullen said.
He added that the conflict has already disrupted economic life across the region.
“You’ve got a tourism, economic livelihood in the region that’s actually completely stopped right now,” he said.
Drawing comparisons to past U.S. wars, Mullen cautioned that conflicts like this often last longer than expected.
“So, there’s an awful lot in play that we can’t anticipate… And I worry about this getting drawn out,” he said, noting that wars in Iraq and Afghanistan lasted years rather than ending quickly.
US Denies Iran Captures As CENTCOM Warns Civilians
The Donald Trump administration denied Ali Larijani’s claim that U.S. soldiers had been captured, calling the allegations false.
The conflict, which began with a U.S.-Israel strike on February 28, had already killed at least six American service members.
U.S. Central Command warned that Iran was launching drones and missiles from populated areas in cities including Dezful, Esfahan, and Shiraz, endangering civilians and risking the loss of protected status under international law.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, said Iran’s actions threatened both local and regional populations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated Tehran was ready to defend against any U.S. ground incursion.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Joshua Sukoff on Shutterstock.com
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