Hegseth Says he and Trump ‘Reserve the Right’ to Send Ground Troops to Iran

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States has not deployed troops on the ground in Iran—but warned that the option remains on the table as military operations with Israel enter their second week.

In an interview on CBS News’s 60 Minutes that aired Sunday, Hegseth confirmed that U.S. forces are currently not operating inside Iran.

“But we reserve the right,” he said. “We would be completely unwise if we did not reserve the right to take any particular option, whether it included boots on the ground or no boots on the ground.”

Hegseth has repeatedly declined to outline the limits of potential U.S. military action, arguing that publicly discussing strategy could give adversaries an advantage.

“I think it’s one of those fallacies that this department, or presidents, should tell American enemies exactly what we’ll do, how long we’ll go, how far we’ll go, or what we’re willing to do or not do,” Hegseth said. “That’s foolishness.”

Casualties expected to rise

The conflict has already resulted in American casualties. Seven U.S. service members have been killed so far, and Hegseth warned that more losses are likely as the fighting continues.

“The president’s been right to say there will be casualties,” Hegseth told CBS. “Things like this don’t happen without casualties.”

When asked about concerns that Russia could assist Iran by helping identify U.S. military bases for potential retaliatory strikes, Hegseth dismissed the threat.

“No one’s putting us in danger,” he said. “We’re putting the other guys in danger—that’s our job—so we’re not concerned about that.”

He added that those most at risk in the conflict are Iranians themselves.

“The only ones that need to be worried right now are Iranians that think they’re going to live,” Hegseth said.

President Donald Trump has also acknowledged the potential dangers of the expanding conflict.

When asked in an interview with Time magazine whether Americans should be concerned about possible attacks on U.S. soil, Trump said the administration is prepared for the possibility.

“I think they’re worried about that all the time,” Trump said. “We think about it all the time. We plan for it.”

He also warned that war inevitably brings casualties.

“Some people will die,” Trump said. “When you go to war, some people will die.”