Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington, Sunday, June 22, after the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel's effort to destroy the country's nuclear program. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that America “does not seek war” with Iran in the aftermath of a surprise attack overnight on three of that country’s nuclear sites.

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

“This mission was not and has not been about regime change,” Hegseth added.

Caine said the goal of the operation — destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — had been achieved.

“Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,” Caine said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington, Sunday, June 22, after the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel's effort to destroy the country's nuclear program. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington, Sunday, June 22, after the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel's effort to destroy the country's nuclear program. AP Photo/Alex Brandon