"It will not be like in Iraq," says the head of the Pentagon, defending the American attack on Iran. "The world is better now."

The American Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, stated on Monday in a press conference that the objective of the U.S. military campaign in Iran is not "regime change," although he admitted that the current leadership of the country "has certainly changed, and the world is better now," according to HotNews and BBC.

He insisted that operations will not degenerate into a "never-ending war," emphasizing that the goal is the destruction of Iran's missiles, navy, and other security infrastructures of Tehran.

"It will not be like in Iraq. Our generation knows better, as does this president," Hegseth said, recalling that Donald Trump described the last two decades of "wars for nation-building" as "nonsense."

He also stated that the U.S. "strikes surgically, overwhelmingly, and without remorse" and claimed that Iran has waged a "one-sided war against America" for decades.

"We did not start this war, but under Trump's presidency, we will end it," pointed out the Pentagon chief, who paid tribute to the four American soldiers killed, calling them "the best of Americans" and linking the continuation of operations to the duty to honor their sacrifice.