No Expansion of Objectives in Iran as Operation Moves to Next Phase: Pentagon

Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, said that the Department of War was transitioning to the ‘next phase’ of the operation.

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks during a press conference on U.S. military action in Iran, at the Pentagon in Washington on March 2, 2026. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on March 5 that there is no expansion of objectives in the military operation in Iran.

“We know exactly what we’re trying to achieve,” Hesseth said during a news briefing at U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida.