Washington DC - Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the next days of the Iran war will be "decisive" and again refused to rule out US ground forces playing a role in the conflict.

Hegseth also revealed during a news conference – his first in nearly two weeks – that he had visited US troops in the Middle East over the weekend, and claimed that talks on ending the conflict were "gaining strength."

"The upcoming days will be decisive. Iran knows that, and there's almost nothing they can militarily do about it," he said.

Asked about the possible use of ground troops in Iran, Hegseth declined to tip his hand.

"You can't fight and win a war if you tell your adversary what you are willing to do, or what you are not willing to do, to include boots on the ground," he said, vowing to "negotiate with bombs."

"If we needed to, we could execute those options on behalf of the president of the United States and this department. Or maybe we don't have to use them at all – maybe negotiations work."

Hegseth said talks on ending the war were making progress even as the more than month-long US-Israeli military campaign against the Islamic republic continued.

"They are very real. They are ongoing, they are active, and I think, gaining strength," he insisted.

General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke alongside Hegseth, saying that US forces have struck more than 11,000 targets so far.

The US "continues to destroy Iran's ballistic missile and (drone) capabilities. We remain focused on interdicting and destroying the logistical and supply chains that feed these programs," he claimed.

And "we continue to assert dominance over the Iranian navy. We remain focused on targeting their mine laying capability, their naval assets," Caine added.

Over four weeks into the unprovoked war launched by the US and Israel, Iran shows no sign of capitulating, while global energy markets have been roiled by a near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.