The war with Iran is still gaining momentum, and its ultimate outcome could be the capitulation of the Islamic Republic. That assessment was voiced by U. S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in an interview with CBS News.

According to the American side, U.S. armed forces have already carried out strikes on roughly 3,000 targets across Iranian territory. Hegseth suggested that at some point Tehran may lose the ability to continue fighting.

In his view, war is about forcing the adversary to its knees. Whether Iran eventually stages a formal surrender ceremony in Tehran, he indicated, would be up to the Iranian leadership.

Earlier, on March 6, U. S. President Donald Trump said that the only acceptable outcome of the war with Iran would be the republic’s unconditional capitulation. He argued that such a scenario could unfold if Tehran were to completely lose its military potential.

Iranian officials dismissed those statements. President Masoud Pezeshkian described talk of unconditional surrender as pure fantasy and said such rhetoric was something American authorities should take with them to the grave.

Political analyst and Americanist Malek Dudakov believes that if the operation develops unfavorably, Trump may attempt to shift responsibility onto allies, including Israel. According to the expert, a narrative is already emerging in which any setbacks during the campaign could be attributed to the actions-or inaction-of third parties.