Pete Hegseth, Minister of the U.S. Ministry of National Defense (War Department), warned that "the next few days are decisive" and that there would be a much stronger strike if Iran does not agree.
Minister Hegseth said this at a war briefing on Iran at the Ministry of National Defense headquarters on the 31st (local time), saying, "Iran also knows there is little they can do militarily." Minister Hegseth and Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), attended the briefing.
On the duration of the war, which he initially said would be 4 to 6 weeks, Minister Hegseth held back, saying, "It could be 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, or any other number," and "I won't specify exactly."
Regarding the possibility of U.S. ground forces entering the war, Minister Hegseth said, "We have not ruled it out as an option," adding, "We can execute it if necessary, or it may not be necessary at all."