US does not seek war, says Pentagon after bombing Iran’s nuclear sites

Mr Hegseth said it is important to note the US strikes did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the mission was not about regime change in Tehran (Alex Brandon/AP)

America “does not seek war” with Iran, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has said in the aftermath of a surprise US attack on three of Tehran’s key nuclear sites.

The mission, called Operation Midnight Hammer, involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance, Mr Hegseth and US Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Pentagon news conference on Sunday.