It will be at the president\u2019s choosing, ultimately: says US Defence Secretary
\n washington
\nUnited States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday there was no \u201ctime frame\u201d for ending the US-Israeli war against Iran, which was launched three weeks ago.
\n\u201cWe wouldn\u2019t want to set a definitive time frame,\u201d Hegseth told a news conference, adding that \u201cwe\u2019re very much on track\u201d and that President Donald Trump will be the one to decide when to stop.
\n\u201cIt will be at the president\u2019s choosing, ultimately, where we say, \u2018Hey, we\u2019ve achieved what we need to.\u2019\u201d
\nHegseth also addressed a report that the Pentagon has requested more than $200 billion in additional funding from Congress to pay for the conflict. \u201cAs far as $200b, I think that number could move. Obviously it takes money to kill bad guys,\u201d Hegseth said.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re going back to Congress and folks there to ensure that we\u2019re properly funded for what\u2019s been done, for what we may have to do in the future,\u201d he said.
\nTop US military officer General Dan Caine, who spoke alongside Hegseth, provided details on weapons being used against Iran and its allied forces in the region.
\nCaine said A-10 Warthogs, a type of aircraft designed for providing close air support, are \u201chunting and killing fast-attack watercraft\u201d in the key Strait of Hormuz waterway, which Iran effectively closed to maritime traffic following the start of the war.
\nHe also said AH-64 Apaches are being used in Iraq to target Iran-aligned militia groups there, and that some US allies have begun using the attack helicopters to counter one-way drones launched by Tehran\u2019s forces. Greek-operated air defence system shoots down Iranian missiles over Saudi Arabia Separately, Greece\u2019s \u200cdefence minister said an air defence system operated by Greek military personnel in Saudi Arabia intercepted two \u200bballistic missiles launched from Iran.
\nNikos Dendias said a Greek-operated Patriot air defence system had intercepted Iranian missiles targeting oil refineries in Saudi Arabia, \u200bwithout specifying where in the kingdom.
\n\u201cThe protection of \u200brefineries and oil units is of great importance,\u201d he said in a televised statement. Greece has deployed a \u200bUS-made Patriot air defense battery, operated by Greek personnel, in \u200bSaudi Arabia since 2021 under an agreement to help protect the kingdom\u2019s energy infrastructure.
\nThursday\u2019s interception was the first time that Greek personnel \u200bhad operated the system, a Greek defence ministry official \u200btold Reuters. Other outside states have also offered assistance in defending the \u200cGulf against Iranian attacks launched in response to US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28.
\nFrance has assisted the United Arab Emirates in defending against Iranian attacks, under a \u200blongstanding defence agreement \u200bbetween the two countries. Australia has also said it would send a surveillance aircraft and missiles \u200bto help bolster UAE defences.
\nEarlier on Thursday, \u200bSaudi Arabia\u2019s defence ministry said that a ballistic missile targeting the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, where there is an oil refinery, \u200bhad been intercepted. It was unclear whether \u200bthe missile was one of those intercepted by the Greek-operated system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It will be at the president\u2019s choosing, ultimately: says US Defence Secretary washington United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday there was no \u201ctime frame\u201d for ending the US-Israeli war against Iran, which was launched three weeks ago. \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t want to set a definitive time frame,\u201d Hegseth told a news conference, adding […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":527544,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-537512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\n