Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a news conference on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. (Eric Brann/U.S. Navy)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he visited the Middle East on Saturday and spoke with troops fighting the war with Iran.
“A crew chief we flew with summed it up nicely. He said, ‘It’s been a busy few weeks, sir, tough stuff. I’m so honored to be called up. This fight is one we need to address for our kids. We cannot pass the buck,’ ” Hegseth said during a news conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday.
Operation Epic Fury has entered its second month and has decimated much of Iran’s weapons stockpiles and naval power. But Iran still maintains a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, sharply restricting traffic and allowing only limited oil shipments through. The waterway’s closure has caused oil and gas prices to surge, sparking concerns about wider implications for the global economy. The average price of gasoline in the U.S. rose above $4 a gallon on Tuesday.
“President [Donald] Trump will make a deal. If Iran is not willing, then the United States War Department will continue with even more intensity,” Hegseth said, referring to the Trump administration’s preferred name for the Defense Department.
During the monthlong conflict, Trump has alternated between promising a quick end and vowing to expand it, as the Pentagon surges forces to the region.
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the Pentagon is considering sending up to 10,000 more ground troops to the Middle East, adding to the roughly 5,000 Marines and thousands of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division headed to the region.
The Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and U.S. sailors arrived in the Middle East on Friday aboard the USS Tripoli, U.S. Central Command said on X.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, was in Israel on Sunday and Monday meeting Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. Before leaving, Cooper visited U.S. troops and recognized more than 40 service members with medals, CENTCOM said in a post on X.
Trump has not yet ruled out putting boots on the ground in Iran, a move that could significantly escalate the war and risk more U.S. casualties, experts say.
Hegseth did not say Tuesday whether the U.S. would send ground troops into Iran.
“You can’t fight and win a war if you tell your adversary what you are willing to do or what you are not willing to do to include boots on the ground,” he said.
Hegseth added: “Our adversary right now thinks there are 15 different ways we could come at them with boots on the ground. And guess what? There are. ”
Thirteen service members have been killed since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28. Six U.S. soldiers were killed in a drone strike in Kuwait, and another was killed in Saudi Arabia. In Iraq, six airmen died when their refueling tanker went down over friendly territory. Another 300 troops have been injured, with the majority having already returned to duty, according to CENTCOM.
This report will be updated.