Pentagon and State Department Defend Nuclear Mission, Call for Diplomacy
Top US officials on Sunday defended the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities as a limited and strategic operation aimed at halting Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and opening a path to diplomacy. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in separate public appearances, emphasized that the mission was not intended to provoke a broader war or pursue regime change.
“This was not a strike on the Iranian people or military forces,” Hegseth said at a Pentagon briefing. “It was a focused, powerful, and clear mission to dismantle the nuclear threat that Iran has posed for decades.” He called the strikes “an overwhelming success,” noting they were carried out with precision and designed to avoid civilian casualties.
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Hegseth said the operation—code-named Operation Midnight Hammer—used submarine-launched cruise missiles and long-range B-2 bombers targeting Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. “We are not seeking regime change,” he said. “We are showing Iran the consequences of pursuing nuclear weapons.”
Rubio, speaking on Fox News, dismissed Iran’s claims that the strikes disrupted diplomatic talks, accusing Tehran of stalling. “They use diplomacy to hide behind and think they can buy time,” Rubio said. “They think they’re cute. They’re not. And they’re not going to get away with it under President Trump.”
While Rubio repeated that regime change is not the US objective, he added, “If Iran is committed to becoming a nuclear-weapons power, I do think it puts the regime at risk.”
Both officials said the US is still open to diplomacy. Hegseth confirmed that Washington is sending “both public and private messages” to Iran offering a way forward. “They understand precisely what the American position is,” he said. “And we hope they take the opportunity for peace.”
