Pentagon Predicts Military Operation Against Iran Could Last Up to Eight Weeks
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signalled at a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, March 5, that a joint US-Israel operation against Iran could take as long as eight weeks, longer than the four-to-five week timeframe floated earlier by President Donald Trump. He cautioned that no fixed timetable existed, saying: “We could say four weeks, but it could be six, eight, or three weeks. In the end, we are the ones who set the pace.” He added that the US held an “almost unlimited” stock of weapons to prevail in this attritional war.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, reported notable progress in the operation, which began last Saturday. Pentagon data indicated that Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities had fallen by about 86 per cent since the start of hostilities, and Iran’s navy was largely decimated. This allowed the US to establish air superiority along Iran’s southern coast, with forces expanding inland and conducting deeper strikes into Iranian territory. The strategy was shifting from high-cost cruise missiles to laser-guided gravity bombs as Iran’s air defences deteriorated.
Against this claimed military edge, humanitarian concerns were escalating. Human rights monitors reported over 1,000 civilian deaths in Iran, including 180 children. One incident drew particular attention—the bombing of the Shajareh Tayyebeh School, which killed a pupil. Hegseth said the military was investigating and insisted that US forces had not targeted civilians.
Separately, the US confirmed the deaths of six personnel in a drone attack by Iran on a base in Kuwait on Sunday. General Caine warned that risks to American personnel remained high even with military superiority. Hegseth also revealed intelligence success in tracking the head of an Iranian unit accused of plotting to assassinate Donald Trump; he stated that the unit leader had been traced and killed.
Neighbours such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Jordan were reported to be actively assisting in intercepting missiles and drones aimed at their territories. The Pentagon continued to reinforce the region with additional fighter jets and bombers to bolster long-term prospects for the operation. (The Guardian/NDTV/Z-2)
The Senate declined a cross-party resolution aimed at limiting President Trump’s authority to order military action against Iran. Additional items included: Pentagon submarines sinking the Iranian warship Iris Dena, with casualties reportedly at 80; Trump asserting control over Venezuela after Maduro’s capture; 200 elite personnel linked to the Caracas raid; congressional calls to release a video of a September 2 ‘double-tap’ attack with constrained travel budgets for Defence Secretary Hegseth; lawmakers insisting Hegseth did not give the order to “kill them all” in a second Caribbean strike; Pentagon accounts of four of six American soldiers killed in the Kuwait drone attack; WSJ citing plans and scenarios for a US strike on Iran; Trump claims of a secret weapon “Discombobulator” disabling Venezuela’s defence during Maduro’s capture; Pentagon to impose new restrictions on firms connected to entities listed in 1260H; senior Pentagon officials drafting plans to downsize several US bases and relocate some generals.