Pentagon and intelligence leaders say operations are intensifying and outline Washington’s military objectives as the conflict with Iran enters its third week.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday there is no fixed timeline for ending the war with Iran, stressing that the decision will ultimately rest with President Donald Trump as the conflict entered its nineteenth day. “Ultimately, it will be the president’s decision when we say, ‘We’ve achieved what we need to on behalf of the American people to ensure our security,’” Hegseth said during a Pentagon briefing.

Hegseth said U.S. forces have already struck more than 7,000 targets across Iran since the campaign began, hitting missile infrastructure, naval assets, and other military facilities. When asked how long the war could last, he declined to offer a timeline. “We wouldn’t want to set a definitive time frame on that,” he said, adding that the United States is “winning decisively, and on our terms.”

Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff overseeing the campaign, indicated the pace of operations is continuing to increase rather than slow down. “We will continue major combat operations,” Caine said during the same briefing. “We continue to get busier.”

At the same time, U.S. intelligence officials suggested Washington’s goals in the war are narrowly focused on degrading Iran’s military capabilities rather than targeting its leadership. Testifying before Congress, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Israeli and American objectives are not identical. “The objectives that have been laid out by the president are different from the objectives that have been laid out by the Israeli government,” Gabbard said, explaining that U.S. strategy centers on destroying Iran’s ballistic missile launch capability, missile production infrastructure, and elements of its navy.

Taken together, the remarks from Washington’s top defense and intelligence officials suggest the campaign is still intensifying rather than winding down, with no defined timeline for when the conflict may end.