{"id":5453,"date":"2026-08-31T05:20:44","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T05:20:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/?p=5453"},"modified":"2026-08-31T05:20:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T05:20:44","slug":"hegseth-warned-against-extending-iran-war-operations-by-military-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/?p=5453","title":{"rendered":"Hegseth warned against extending Iran war operations by military leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A recent classified assessment\u00a0advised\u00a0Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth\u00a0that prolonging large-scale operations against Iran was unsustainable and risked weakening US\u00a0ability to confront threats elsewhere, including in the US\u00a0homeland,\u00a0<em>The\u00a0Washington Post<\/em>\u00a0reported on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>According to the\u00a0<em>Post<\/em>, the warnings were prepared for Hegseth by the &#8220;heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force and the four-star commanders overseeing US\u00a0operations throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America&#8221; and\u00a0appear in the August\u00a014 edition of the Secretary of Defence Orders Book (SDOB).<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The SDOB,<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>typically produced twice monthly, outlines the worldwide availability of US\u00a0warships, aircraft, personnel and weapons systems,&#8221; the report explained.<\/p>\n<div data-oembed-url=\"https:\/\/x.com\/washingtonpost\/status\/2094055048602911068\">\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=etribune&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2094055048602911068&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Ftribune.com.pk%2Fstory%2F2626506%2Firan-says-hormuz-transit-understanding-with-oman-contingent-on-us-fulfilling-commitments&amp;sessionId=9484b5aceb91df05689898600710f7da3bbc887b&amp;siteScreenName=etribune&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"2094055048602911068\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Iranian FM says Minab school massacre leaves \u2018eternal wound\u2019 on Iran<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday described the Minab school massacre as an \u201ceternal wound\u201d on Iran, urging the public and contemporary art enthusiasts to visit an exhibition featuring paintings inspired by the incident,\u00a0<em>IRNA<\/em>\u00a0news agency reported.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\">In an Instagram post last night, Araghchi said he had visited the exhibition the previous day, describing it as a place where art \u201cweeps and makes others weep\u201d.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\">\u201cBehind these colors and images stands the bitter memory of a crime committed by enemies of Iran against innocent children of this land,\u201d he said, adding that the tragedy would not disappear with time or be erased from the memory of the grieving nation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hezbollah chief praises Iran\u2019s resilience against US-Israeli attacks<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem has praised the resilience of different segments of Iranian society during recent US and Israeli attacks on the country, saying perseverance and unity can thwart the plans of its adversaries,\u00a0<em>Press TV<\/em>\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe United States and Israel have failed in three wars against the Islamic Republic of Iran due to the unity and resilience of the Iranian nation,\u201c Qassem said in a speech marking Unity Week.<\/p>\n<p>He was referring to two rounds of joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran in June 2025 and February 2026, as well as another round of US attacks on the country in July.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs long as we stand firm and defend our rights and homeland, enemies will not manage to attain their objectives, no matter what sacrifices we might have to make or how many casualties we might sustain,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Rulers of Muslim nations should recognise &#8216;true enemy&#8217;, says Iran&#8217;s supreme leader<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Iran&#8217;s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Sunday that rulers of Muslim countries should recognise what he called &#8220;the true enemy,&#8221; accusing the US and Israel of being &#8220;sworn enemies&#8221; of Islamic unity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy emphatic and repeated recommendation to the rulers of Islamic countries, particularly those in West Asia and along the Gulf, is to identify your true enemy, understand its plan and confront it,\u201d Khamenei said in a message marking \u201cIslamic Unity Week,&#8221; according to Iran&#8217;s state-run broadcaster<em>\u00a0IRIB.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Unity among Muslims is essential &#8220;for achieving the beloved and dominant Islamic civilisation,&#8221; he stated.<\/p>\n<p>The US and Israel are &#8220;the sworn enemies of this unity and friendship,\u201d Khamenei claimed, saying that Washington and Tel Aviv are not only &#8220;enemies&#8221; of Iran but also of the \u201centire\u201d Islamic world.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Iraq seeks to &#8220;be a bridge&#8221; between Iran and US, security adviser says<\/strong><\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\">Iraq has a \u201cgood relationship\u201d with both Iran and the United States and seeks to \u201cbe a bridge\u201d for communication between the two sides, Iraqi Prime Minister\u2019s Security Adviser Qassim al-Araji has said in an interview with\u00a0<em>Al Jazeera<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\">Al-Araji said Baghdad wants to help facilitate dialogue aimed at reaching an agreement that guarantees the rights of countries across the region.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\">He also said Iran had stressed the need to remove extremist groups from Iraq.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Israel says it will strike Iran again if nuclear programme is rebuilt<\/strong><\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\">Israel will strike Iran again if Tehran attempts to rebuild its nuclear or ballistic missile programmes, even if Iran reaches an agreement with Washington, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen has said,\u00a0<em>Al Jazeera<\/em>\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\">Cohen made the remarks in an interview with Israeli news site\u00a0<em>Ynet<\/em>\u00a0on Saturday, when he was asked about the recent war with Iran.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\">\u201cIf Iran makes the mistake and tries to renew its nuclear programme or ballistic missile programme, even if there is an agreement with the United States, we will be there to attack,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\"><strong>Read:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/tribune.com.pk\/story\/2626471\/iran-signals-no-retreat-amid-us-sanctions\" rel=\"nofollow\">Iran signals no retreat amid US sanctions<\/a><\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\">Cohen said Iran would have acquired nuclear weapons had Israel not launched its attacks. He added that Israeli intelligence assessed the joint US-Israeli strikes had delayed Iran\u2019s nuclear programme by between two and four years.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\">\u201cWe have already proven our capabilities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Iran says Hormuz transit understanding with Oman contingent on US fulfilling commitments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but its implementation is contingent on the US fulfilling its commitments, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This understanding will not automatically enter the implementation stage,\u201d Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said, according to\u00a0<em>Tasnim news<\/em>\u00a0agency.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImplementing this understanding requires the other side, particularly the US, to fulfill its commitments. Whenever these commitments are implemented, Iran will also take its measures,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Gharibabadi said Iran was in no hurry to reopen the strait and would continue its \u201cdefensive measures\u201d and efforts to \u201ccounter threats.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese measures are not new, and if Washington is interested in returning to the path of diplomacy, it must accept responsibility for its past actions,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>He said the necessary arrangements regarding the strait had been made with the Omani government, but responsibility for meeting the requirements rested with the other side.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhenever these commitments are fulfilled, Iran will take the necessary action. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and if any vessel passes through this route, it will be with the coordination and authorization of the Islamic Republic of Iran,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Gharibabadi added that Iran\u2019s armed forces maintain \u201cfull oversight\u201d of movements in the strait, rejecting claims that vessels were passing through without coordination with Tehran.<\/p>\n<p>He said Iran\u2019s meetings and contacts with Qatar and Pakistan were held in light of the two countries\u2019 roles as mediators in the talks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cQatar and Pakistan sought to examine whether it was possible to resume implementation of the commitments under the Islamabad understanding,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Iran\u2019s parliament speaker rejects US Treasury chief\u2019s claims over economic pressure<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf on Saturday rejected US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent\u2019s claims that Washington\u2019s blockade and economic measures would crush the Iranian economy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLiar, liar, pants on fire,\u201d Qalibaf said in a post on the US social media company X, responding to Bessent\u2019s assertion that Washington had brought 130 million barrels of oil onto the market over the past 14 days.<\/p>\n<p>Referring to what he described as the \u201creal 130s,\u201d Qalibaf urged Bessent to ask his staff to review Moody\u2019s figures that he said showed more than $130 billion in war-related costs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read more:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/tribune.com.pk\/story\/2626156\/us-is-not-talking-with-iran-as-economic-war-in-focus\" rel=\"nofollow\">&#8216;US is not talking with Iran&#8217; as economic war in focus<\/a><\/p>\n<p>He claimed US trading firm Jane Street had lost more than $130 million by betting on lower oil prices during a single rollover of futures contracts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLiar, liar, yields on fire,\u201d Qalibaf added, sharing an article by economist Paul Krugman titled \u201cScott Bessent Fails to Gaslight the Market.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bessent earlier said \u201cthe blockade and Operation Economic Outcast will crush the failing Iranian economy,\u201d claiming the US guided 130 million barrels of oil onto the market over the previous two weeks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Egypt&#8217;s Banque Misr reviews US Iran sanctions notice, UAE central bank launches urgent examination<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Egypt&#8217;s Banque Misr said on Saturday it was reviewing a US Treasury notice to \u200bcut off its UAE branches from dollar transactions \u200cover their dealings with Iran, while the UAE central bank said it had launched an urgent examination of the \u200bbranches following the U.S. action.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. imposed Iran-related sanctions on an Egyptian bank as part \u2060of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent&#8217;s campaign to increase \u200beconomic pressure to try to break a stalemate six \u200bmonths into Washington&#8217;s war with Iran.<\/p>\n<p>Banque Misr said its branch in the UAE continues to provide banking services to its \u200bcustomers in accordance with the applicable rules and \u200bprocedures.<\/p>\n<p>The UAE central bank said later on Saturday it had decided \u200cto \u2060conduct a &#8220;special and urgent examination&#8221; of Banque Misr\u2019s branches in the country, including &#8220;a forensic\/in-depth lookback covering the period referred to in the statement issued by \u200bthe US authorities&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The \u200bCentral Bank \u2060expects banks licensed in the UAE not to expose the UAE\u2019s financial system \u200bto reputational risks, to respect the laws \u200band \u2060regulations of the countries whose financial institutions are used in conducting transactions, and not to misuse the \u2060advanced financial \u200binfrastructure of the UAE,&#8221; it \u200badded in a statement.<\/p>\n<p><strong>US military families ride &#8220;roller coaster of emotions&#8221; over six months of Iran war<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Since the United States went to war with Iran six months ago, Courtney Sanders has been helping soldiers\u2019 families fill the gaps left by their loved ones.<\/p>\n<p>There are school \u200bpickups to coordinate, lost incomes to supplement \u2014 and the ever-present separation anxiety.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s like being on pins and needles all of the time,\u201d Sanders said.<\/p>\n<p>She leads \u200cthe Chicagoland chapter of Blue Star Families, the nation&#8217;s largest nonprofit serving military families, and her own daughters are in the US Navy. They have served in various overseas locations over the past six months, including the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>The US has more than 50,000 troops stationed across the region and has deployed thousands of additional Marines and sailors to support the war effort. Eighteen US service members have been killed in the conflict \u200band more than 750 wounded.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Also read:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/tribune.com.pk\/story\/2625737\/iran-vows-to-retaliate-after-us-widens-sanctions\" rel=\"nofollow\">Iran vows to retaliate after US widens sanctions<\/a><\/p>\n<p>During the war&#8217;s on-and-off fighting, shuttle diplomacy and failed peace talks, military families have experienced a \u201croller coaster of emotions,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cThe moment that you feel \u200byou&#8217;re able to take a breath, you get gut-punched again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These are familiar pressures for the partners and children, mothers and fathers, of American \u2060troops. But the suddenness of the Iranian conflict, and its fitful pace, have had a compounding effect, relatives told\u00a0<em>Reuters.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In a Blue Star Families poll of some 200 active-duty military \u200bfamilies in early March, 81% reported elevated stress from the Iran conflict.<\/p>\n<p>The group has responded by stepping up its programming, creating online resource hubs, hosting webinars and in-person meet-ups, and matching military \u200bspouses going through a deployment for the first time with those who have been through it before.<\/p>\n<p>Many service members&#8217; deployments have been extended unexpectedly.<\/p>\n<p>The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier went more than 200 days without a port call \u2014 a modern-day record, according to Democratic lawmakers \u2014 and military outlets reported suicide attempts and declining morale among its 5,000 sailors and Marines. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the reports \u201ccompletely misrepresented\u201d the conditions on \u200bboard.<\/p>\n<p>Some military families find themselves in financial straits.<\/p>\n<p>National Guard members, for example, often work regular jobs when they are not deployed. The sudden loss of their main paycheck can make it \u200bhard for those left behind to keep food on the table, Sanders said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There is a huge misconception in the civilian world that if you are in the military, all of your bills are taken \u200ccare of,\u201d \u2060she said. \u201cAnd that is just frankly not true.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, the Pentagon said: &#8220;We see these families (and) we hear their concerns. We will do whatever is necessary to provide the resources, assistance, and stability they need and deserve during these challenging times.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;A lot of emotions&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Shannon, an Army spouse and mother of three in North Carolina who requested Reuters use only her first name for security reasons, tries to tune out the news and the political debate surrounding the war.<\/p>\n<p>In February, her husband deployed to the region with five days&#8217; notice and could only contact her sporadically \u200bfor the first several months.<\/p>\n<p>Although they have maintained \u200bnear-daily communication since June, &#8220;there are a lot \u2060of emotions,\u201d Shannon said, \u201cespecially when people are dying over there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her children started therapy over the summer. She tries to be strong in front of them, but cries sometimes when they\u2019re not around.<\/p>\n<p>Soon after her husband&#8217;s deployment, Shannon joined an Army-sponsored soldier-and-family &#8220;readiness group&#8221; within her husband&#8217;s unit, \u200bhelping organize meal trains and other support for family members in need.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Every day is not going to be a great day, but \u200byou&#8217;ve gotta just keep going \u2060and keep yourself busy,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>In Virginia, Pat, a Navy spouse who also asked to be identified by her first name for security reasons, has tried to keep life as normal as possible for her children, who are in middle and high school.<\/p>\n<p>Since her husband deployed about five months ago, Pat said, her neighbors have been &#8220;amazing&#8221; about helping with kid pickups and other chores.<\/p>\n<p>Her family wears \u2060red on Fridays \u2014 \u200ba show of support for deployed service members \u2014 and so do many of her children&#8217;s classmates, even those \u200bwithout military connections.<\/p>\n<p>Pat&#8217;s husband has deployed before. She was pleasantly surprised this time to discover his ship had Wi-Fi, making communication easier.<\/p>\n<p>Still, her family is grappling with the uncertainty of when he will return.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Having older kids and knowing \u200bthat dad wasn&#8217;t there to see those sporting events, some of that&#8217;s been a little emotional,&#8221; she said. &#8220;But my kids are very resilient.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Tensions between Tehran and Washington have remained high since the war began with strikes on Iran in late February. Iran retaliated by targeting US military positions and assets in Arab countries aligned with Washington.<\/p>\n<p>With Pakistani and Qatari mediation, they reached a ceasefire in April and later signed a memorandum of understanding in Islamabad in June to negotiate a lasting peace agreement.<\/p>\n<p>Before the war, there was free passage through the strait, a critical export route for Gulf oil and gas, but Iran insists on retaining control and charging fees, something the US rejects.<\/p>\n<p>Escalatory strikes between the US and Iran in July caused the US to reimpose a naval blockade of Iranian ports and revoke a waiver that allowed Iran to export oil, with the conflict now appearing to have reached a stalemate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A recent classified assessment\u00a0advised\u00a0Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth\u00a0that prolonging large-scale operations against Iran was unsustainable and risked weakening US\u00a0ability to confront threats elsewhere, including in the US\u00a0homeland,\u00a0The\u00a0Washington Post\u00a0reported on Sunday. According to the\u00a0Post, the warnings were prepared for Hegseth by the &#8220;heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force and the four-star commanders overseeing US\u00a0operations throughout &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5453"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5455,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5453\/revisions\/5455"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}