The Secretary of Defense of the United States, Pete Hegseth, said on Sunday that American air attacks in Iran's nuclear facilities were “intentionally limited”, even when fear of a broader conflict in the Middle East continues to grow.
The United States launched precision attacks on three key Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday night.
The measure marked a great climb, attracting strong international attention and a political debate at home.
“Well, anything can happen in the conflict. We recognize that, but the scope of this was intentionally limited,” Hegseth said during a Pentagon press conference.
General Dan Caine, president of the Joint Personnel Chiefs.
Hegseth emphasized that the objective of the operation was not to eliminate Iran's leadership.
On the other hand, he said that the approach was to degrade Iran's nuclear capabilities while the space for diplomacy is preserved.
“They understand precisely what the American position is, precisely what steps can take to allow peace, and we hope they do it,” he said.
He added that communication channels with Iran, both public and private, open.
The secretary also made it clear that the strikes avoided attacking Iran's military personnel and civil areas.
“The United States does not seek war,” said Hegseth.
“But allow me to be clear, we will act quickly and decisively when our people, our partners or our interests are threatened.”
His message echoed the warning of President Donald Trump the night before.
“There will be peace or tragedy for Iran, much greater than we have witnessed in the last eight days,” Trump said from the White House.
“Remember, there are many goals. Tonight was the most difficult of them, and perhaps the most lethal.”
“But if peace does not come quickly,” he added, “we will go after those other objectives with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.”
Vice President JD Vance recently reinforced the position of the administration.
“We are not at war with Iran, Jon. We are at war with Iran's nuclear program,” he said.
Even so, strikes caused a violent reaction in Washington.
Many Democrats, and even some Republicans, took a concern, questioning both the legality and the strategic wisdom of the operation.
“Donald Trump promised to bring peace to the Middle East. He has not fulfilled that promise,” said the Democratic leader of the Hakeem House Jeffries representatives of New York.
“The risk of war has now increased dramatically, and I pray for the security of our troops in the region that have been endangered,” he added.
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