Hegseth says US mission ‘not about regime change’

Published
0

Asked whether regime change in Iran is off the table as a US policy goal, US Defence Secretary Hegseth replied: “This mission was not, is not about regime change”.

He described the attack as a “precision operation to neutralise the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear programme”.

US General Dan Caine, when asked whether Iran still retains some nuclear capacity after the attack, said it would be premature to comment before the damage assessment is complete.

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine (R) and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth (L) address a media briefing on US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities in Washington, on June 22, 2025. — screengrab via Fox News YouTube
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine (R) and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth (L) address a media briefing on US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities in Washington, on June 22, 2025. — screengrab via Fox News YouTube

Opinion

Editorial

Makkah pact clarity
Updated 22 Oct, 2026

Makkah pact clarity

Fresh aggression can kick off a firestorm that will be in no one’s control, hence it is best to abandon such reckless plans.
Common ground
22 Oct, 2026

Common ground

IT appears that the PML-N, echoing the PPP’s recent offer, is also willing to re-engage with the opposition, at...
The treatment gap
22 Oct, 2026

The treatment gap

A BREAST cancer diagnosis no longer carries the bleak outlook it did a generation ago. Targeted medicines,...
Real FBR reform
21 Oct, 2026

Real FBR reform

REFORM of the FBR has always been easier to promise than to deliver. Since the late 1990s, governments have tried...
Missing lawmakers
Updated 21 Oct, 2026

Missing lawmakers

Some lawmakers have reportedly been in detention since before Oct 11.
Tackling rabies
21 Oct, 2026

Tackling rabies

RABIES is a deadly but preventable zoonotic disease. On Monday, two more victims succumbed to it in Sindh, taking ...