Joint Chiefs chair: “We expect to take additional losses”

Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Monday that the U.S. operation against Iran will “take some time” and that additional American casualties are likely.

“This is not a single, overnight operation. The military objectives that CENTCOM and the Joint Force have been tasked with will take some time to achieve, and in some cases, will be difficult and gritty work,” he said at a press briefing alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Four American service members have been killed since the U.S. and Israel struck targets inside Iran early Saturday morning.

“We expect to take additional losses, and as always, we will work to minimize U.S. losses,” the general added. “But as the secretary said, this is major combat operations.”

Gen. Caine said the operation remains in its early stages and that additional U.S. forces are continuing to deploy to the Middle East.

“This work is just beginning and will continue,” he said.