Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Monday that “we didn’t start this war, but under President Trump we are finishing it.”

“My generation of veterans carry the names of brothers who never came home. Brothers butchered by Iranian-backed roadside bombs and well-armed militias,” Hegseth said.

“Their war on Americans has become our retribution against their Ayatollah,” he added.

Footage below:

NPR shared further:

The remarks are the administration’s first in public to reporters since the U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran began Saturday despite weeks of talks designed to stave off a conflict. That operation – and Iran’s retaliation – has resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader and some of its senior leadership, embroiled other Middle Eastern nations in the conflict, and led to the deaths of four American service members in Kuwait.

“This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change,” Hegseth said. “And the world is better off for it.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that the military objective in Iran “will be difficult to achieve, and in some cases, will be difficult and gritty work.”

“We expect to take additional losses, and as always, we will work to minimize losses,” Caine said.

Hegseth said the U.S. goal in Iran was to “destroy the missile threats, destroy the navy, no nukes.” He rejected the notion that the conflict would be prolonged or would engage in nation-building.

Caine said the mission was “to protect and defend ourselves, and together with our regional partners, prevent Iran from the ability to project power outside of its borders.”

“The President has been willing to make a deal. You can’t have a nuclear bomb. Radical Islamists can’t have a nuclear bomb that they wield against the world,” Hegseth said.

“He gave them every single opportunity,” he added.

Watch below:

More from The Independent:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth championed President Donald Trump’s strikes on Iran in a press conference Monday morning, refuting concerns from the “fake news” media and “political left” that the conflict would lead to an “endless war.”

“To the media outlets and political left screaming ‘endless wars,’ stop. This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” Hegseth said. “Our generation knows better and so does this president.”

The defense secretary insisted the strikes, which have led to a deadly exchange of fire in the region, would prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and harming more Americans, even as the operation has already killed four service members.

ADVERTISEMENT

Hegseth pushed back on other assertions about Trump’s motivation in conducting the strikes, saying America was doing things “on our terms.”

“No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise, no politically-correct wars. We fight to win,” Hegseth said.

 

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.