Iran live updates: Hegseth says Trump 'kicked their teeth in'

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth acknowledged that the ongoing war with Iran is "not necessarily popular" among American voters, when asked about the role the conflict played in the heavy Republican defeat in the midterm elections.

Vice President JD Vance last week publicly blamed the conflict for the historic Democratic Party victory in the midterm elections. Asked about Vance's remarks, Hegseth said he did not want to engage in "finger pointing."

Hegseth said the war was launched "for the right reasons, to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon."

Paraphrasing Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Hegseth said of the war, "It's not necessarily popular, but it may have been necessary. And that's certainly how I feel. It was a necessary undertaking."

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said during Tuesday's press conference that the U.S. can "maintain oversight" of Iranian nuclear sites and any attempts by Tehran to reconstitute its military capabilities.

"We're able to maintain oversight and visibility of those nuclear sites. And if we saw the kind of nefarious activity that required action, we would take it," Hegseth said.

Hegseth said the ongoing U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is "ironclad," suggesting that operation -- alongside the damage done to Iran's industrial base -- means Tehran's "ability to reconstitute is much less than ours."

"We know that they're going to attempt to reconstitute. We know that we are in a much stronger position," Hegseth said.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said during a Tuesday morning press conference that the U.S. had achieved "a historic military victory," over Iran, as he faced a House impeachment resolution introduced by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie.

Hegseth defended his tenure as Pentagon chief, including the ongoing U.S.-Israeli campaign against in Iran, which began in February, and last summer's 12-day U.S.-Israeli conflict with Tehran.

"More than 13,000 targets struck. Their navy sunk. Their air force grounded. Their defense industrial base gone," Hegseth said, listing military statistics from the conflict to date.

"More than 80% of their nuclear industrial base gone. Their military in ruin. The ironclad blockade unbroken. We control the Strait of Hormuz. Crazy Islamists in Tehran will never, ever have a nuclear weapon. A historic effort only made possible by a courageous commander in chief," Hegseth added, referring to President Donald Trump.

"He did not kick the can. He kicked their teeth in," Hegseth said of the president.

"We will not apologize for destroying the capabilities of a regime that chants, 'Death to America," Hegseth continued. "And if that regime makes one wrong move, as the president said, we remain locked and loaded with the full weight and lethality of Central Command."

President Donald Trump said Monday that the U.S. will maintain the "status quo" with Iran, indicating that he would do so "at the behest" of America's regional partners.

Trump spoke with reporters after meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, describing Iran as a "failing country."

The president also indicated that there are talks underway, adding that the conversations seem to be going well, saying there's a "good chance" that the war could end soon.

"And they're talking to us and they're talking very politely. Then we'll see what happens. But there's a good chance that that could get ended," Trump said.

"At the conclusion of the military engagement, the American people and the people of the world will be far safer and more secure than they've been in many, many years because Iran was killing many people," Trump said.

"We have some great allies there, and we have to make sure they're not hurt, and they would be hurt. They are right now a lot safer than they were six months ago, because Iran's been very much decapitated," Trump continued.

-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart and Nicholas Kerr