Pete Hegseth

They have very bad and corrupt leadership.

And whether or not they get a boatload of oil, it's not going to matter.

I'd prefer letting it in, whether it's Russia or anybody else, because the people need...

heat and cooling and all of the other things that you need.

The trip was an honor.

I had a chance to bear witness, and I witnessed the best of America.

I witness warriors, a brotherhood of men and women, warriors all, and their commitment to the mission.

Military objectives that we're moving toward and things that we look at.

And as he's articulated, you know, he said four to six weeks, six to eight weeks, three.

It could be any particular number, but we would never reveal precisely what it is because our goal is to finish those objectives.

And

We're well on our way.

And the chairman and I look at this every single day.

It will be the president's determination and the president's determination alone when those objectives are complete and when it serves the interest of the American people to cut that deal, to make sure that Iran doesn't have a nuclear capability and ultimately that our objectives, our interests are advanced.

Our strikes are damaging the morale of the Iranian military, leading to widespread desertions, key personnel shortages and causing frustrations amongst senior leaders.

As Operation Epic Fury moves into its fifth week in Iran, intelligence shows U.S.

and Israeli strikes are damaging the Iranian military's morale.

U.S.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth says the overwhelming destructive power should be influencing the emerging replacement leaders of Iran, with whom the Trump administration has been communicating.

Hegseth adds no military options have been ruled out and the president intends to keep up the pressure.