Pentagon warns of ‘gritty’ battle in Iran as Trump refuses to rule out boots on the bottom

“We count on to take further losses, and as at all times, we are going to work to minimise US losses,” he added.

US President Donald Trump has estimated that the present operation can take round 4 weeks.

US soldier dying toll rises

Secretary of Struggle and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth was requested about Sunday’s incident the place US troopers had died. That toll elevated to 4 on Monday as yet one more soldier succumbed to accidents.

CENTCOM Replace

TAMPA, Fla. – As of seven:30 am ET, March 2, 4 U.S. service members have been killed in motion. The fourth service member, who was critically wounded throughout Iran’s preliminary assaults, finally succumbed to their accidents.

Main fight operations proceed and our…

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 2, 2026

“We now have unimaginable air defences … Each now and again you might need one – sadly, we name it a squirter – that that makes its method by way of. And in that specific case, occurred to hit a tactical operation heart that was that was fortified, however these are highly effective weapons.

“In moments like that, as we bear in mind them and we maintain them and maintain their households, solely stiffen our resolve to make sure that we we do that correctly,” Hegseth stated.

3 F-15s downed in Kuwaiti pleasant hearth

Monday additionally noticed three US F-15 jets shot down by Kuwaiti air defence methods in a reported case of pleasant hearth. All six personnel had safely evacuated have been present process medical check-ups, in keeping with the final replace.

“he reason for the incident is beneath investigation. Extra info will probably be launched because it turns into obtainable,” US CENTCOM stated in a press release.

Trump doesn’t rule out boots on floor in Iran

Talking hours after the Pentagon briefing to New York Submit, Trump refused to rule out boots on the bottom in Iran.

“I don’t have the yips with respect to boots on the bottom — like each president says, ‘There will probably be no boots on the bottom.’ I don’t say it,” Trump stated on Monday.

“I say ‘most likely don’t want them,’ [or] ‘in the event that they have been vital.’”

On the Pentagon briefing, Hegseth had underlined that the Iran operation had a “clear, devastating, decisive mission” to “destroy the missile risk” from Iran, destroy its navy and “no nukes.”

“This isn’t Iraq. This isn’t infinite,” he stated. “This isn’t a so-called regime change battle, however the regime certain did change and the world is healthier off for it,” Hegseth stated.