Hegseth acknowledged at a Pentagon news conference Wednesday that some Iranian drone or missile attacks may still hit their targets even as he asserted that U.S. military superiority is rapidly giving the United States control of Iran’s airspace. He said the military set up maximum possible defense and force protection before going on offense, and he described U.S. spending on air defense to protect American forces and allies in the Middle East.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the same briefing that U.S. service members remain at risk and that planners should expect danger to continue. “U.S. service members ‘remain in harm’s way, and we must be clear-eyed that the risk is still high,’” Caine said, according to the Associated Press report.

The remarks came as the conflict, which began Saturday and has widened throughout the region, has continued to produce casualties and new threats. The AP reported that an Iranian drone strike hit an operations center Sunday in the heart of a civilian port in Kuwait, more than 10 miles from the main Army base, and that six soldiers were killed.

Caine declined to answer a question about whether the United States might deploy ground troops in Iran, and he said he would not comment on U.S. boots on the ground because it is a question for policymakers. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later told reporters that deploying troops was “not part of the plan for this operation at this time,” while saying she would not remove an option for the president.

Hegseth also signaled that the war’s duration could extend beyond earlier expectations offered by Trump and senior officials. The Associated Press reported that Hegseth said the conflict could last eight weeks but that he would not set a specific time range, saying it could last “four weeks,” but also “six, … eight, … [or] three,” depending on how events unfold. He said additional U.S. forces were arriving in the region, including jet fighters and bombers, and that the United States would “take all the time we need to make sure that we succeed,” according to the AP.

On the question of military supplies, Hegseth and Caine said weapon stockpiles were not a constraint. Hegseth said the military initially used more advanced weapons but was switching to gravity bombs now that the United States had gained control of the Iranian sky, and Caine said U.S. attacks on missile sites and other offensive targets had been successful enough to allow strikes deeper inland.

Caine said the U.S. has “sufficient precision munitions for the task at hand, both on the offense and defense,” and Hegseth said U.S. air defenses and those of allies had “plenty of runway,” framing the effort as sustainable “for as long as we need to.” He also said quantities would not be released, citing operational security.

In addition to claims about reduced Iranian capabilities, Caine said the number of ballistic missiles fired by Iran fell by 86% from the first day of the U.S. military’s campaign, and he said that number was down 23% in the past 24 hours. He also said the use of one-way attack drones was down 73% from the opening days, and he suggested the decrease could reflect Iran holding some weapons in reserve to prolong the conflict.

The briefing also addressed the risk to Americans and steps to help people depart the region. The Associated Press reported that the administration advised people in 14 countries to leave immediately as threat warnings narrowed airspace and led to widespread flight cancellations, and it said the State Department has assisted nearly 6,500 Americans since the start of the war.

Caine said the military had opened up available seats on military transport planes “to try to help folks get out,” and the AP reported that the State Department said one charter flight departed the Middle East for the United States on Wednesday. The department said the charter arrangements involved aircraft and planning from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel, and it said more than 17,500 Americans had returned to the U.S. since Saturday, including more than 8,500 on Tuesday alone, with most using commercial transportation without government help.