Pentagon touts swift, precise Iran campaign while keeping boots off the ground

The US defense secretary hails the Iran strikes as a swift, precise air campaign with no US boots on the ground for now, while refusing to define a timeline or rule out future actions; four American service members were killed by a ballistic missile that penetrated air defenses; President Trump suggests boots on the ground could be used if necessary, and Rubio and other officials frame the mission as deterring retaliation rather than pursuing a democracy-building outcome, with aims to destroy Iran’s navy, missile production, and potential nuclear capabilities, all while warning the confrontation won’t be open-ended.