US Defense Secretary says no timeline for ending Iran conflict, with President Trump to decide, as Pentagon requests over $200 billion in additional funding

WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said there is no “definitive time frame” for ending the three-week-old US-Israeli war against Iran.

Hegseth told a news conference that President Donald Trump will ultimately decide when to stop the conflict.

“We’re very much on track,” Hegseth stated, adding the war will end “at the president’s choosing” when objectives are achieved.

He also addressed reports the Pentagon has requested over $200 billion in additional funding from Congress.

“As far as $200 billion, I think that number could move,” Hegseth said, noting that “it takes money to kill bad guys.”

The Pentagon is engaging with Congress to ensure proper funding for current and future operations.

Top US military officer General Dan Caine detailed weapons being used against Iran and its regional allies.

Caine said A-10 Warthog aircraft are “hunting and killing fast-attack watercraft” in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran effectively closed the key waterway to maritime traffic following the war’s start.

AH-64 Apache helicopters are being used in Iraq to target Iran-aligned militia groups.

Some US allies have also begun using the attack helicopters to counter one-way drones launched by Tehran’s forces.

 The Sun Malaysia