US strikes on Iran are not intended for "regime change," Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth assured.

"This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime certainly—"

Nevertheless, President Donald Trump has advocated for regime change. In his first comments after the strikes, he addressed the Iranian people directly. "America supports you with overwhelming force and devastating power. Now is the time to take control of your destiny and unlock the prosperous and glorious future that is within your reach," he stated.

According to Hegseth, the US "did not start the war" — it is Iran that has been conducting attacks for decades in a "one-sided war against America." "We didn't start this war, but under President Trump we are ending it," Hegseth added.

Hegseth also noted that the war against Iran is not comparable to the war in Iraq, adding that the United States will not fall into the same trap it fell into two decades ago.

"This is not Iraq," Hegseth said. "This is not endless. I was there for both operations. Our generation knows better, and so does this president. He called out the last 20 years of wars, and he's right. This operation is a decisive mission: destroy the missile threat, destroy the navy, no nuclear weapons."