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US war secy visits troops, asks them if they want to be ‘sent home’ as Iran conflict drags on: ‘They all said…’
Pete Hegseth said that none of the Us military service members knew that he and his team were coming for a visit: “It was not rehearsed or scripted."
Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of War, on Tuesday described his weekend field visit to the American military Central Command's base amid the war on Iran, and asserted that none of the soldiers wanted to be “sent home”. He said he asked them as much directly.
"A crew chief told me, 'It's been busy. It's tough stuff.' I asked each young American if anyone wanted to be sent home. Nobody did. They all said, 'Let's finish the mission'," Hegseth said as he, along with General Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, briefed the media on the progress made on Operation Epic Fury.
This came amid speculation that the US is preparing for a ground operation in Iran.
Sharing some details of his visit, Hegseth said he was in Centcom's operational area for about half of Saturday. For security reasons, he said the places and bases visited “will not be named".
"Suffice it to say, the trip was an honour. I witnessed some of the finest American warriors, a brotherhood of men and women on active duty, the National Guard, and the Reserves, demonstrating sheer competency," he said.
Also read | 'Point is to be unpredictable': Pete Hegseth on deploying US troops as Iran war escalates
Iraq, Afghanistan comparison with Iran
Hegseth insisted that Operation Epic Fury has been swift as compared to previous US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan — both of which have lately been cited by analysts as cautionary tales against American military actions.
“Rotational units in Iraq and Afghanistan never know when a mission will end,” Hegseth claimed.
“During Operation Epic Fury, I observed the urgency to achieve mission success, the sheer focus of every crew member, and their motivation to push forward,” he added.
“The troops want to finish this fight for their children and grandchildren,” he said, sharing snippets of his claimed interactions with crew members.
‘Gave him my card’
"Privately, I spoke to one Air Force crew that had successfully shot down an enemy missile. I witnessed American ingenuity firsthand, met with Air Force intelligence personnel, and saw extraordinary lethality, bigger bombs, sunken enemy ships, and operations executed with wartime speed," Hegseth claimed.
He repeated the “nuclear” rationale — one of many cited by Donald Trump and his men — behind why the US and Israel started the war with airstrikes on Tehran on February 28.
“We have dropped bombs over Tehran because the world cannot allow Iran to have nuclear weapons,” he said.
He further referred to a “new” regime in Iran, though he used no names, purportedly in place after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other top officials were killed.
“President Trump doesn't bluff. This new regime in Iran should be wiser than the last. Today, standing here in this briefing room, I witnessed the dedication of our air defenders and the remarkable professionalism of our armed forces,” Hegseth further said.
During the trip, Hegseth said he spoke to service members of all ranks and services.
“I met the Air Force intel analyst who refines target packages faster than the enemy can adapt. I actually gave him my card and told him to keep me posted on the ground truth,” Hegseth said. “I did the same with his boss, a colonel with a heart the size of Texas and a beautiful deployment moustache to match,” he told reporters.
Hegseth said that none of the service members knew that he and his team were coming for a visit.
“It was not rehearsed or scripted. Sometimes we just wandered,” he told reporters, “What I witnessed was motivation. It was sheer mission focus. It was the American warrior unleashed.”
Trump's latest
Earlier in the day, President Donald Trump taunted countries affected by a fuel crisis because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, as he asked them to “build some courage".
“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT," the US President wrote on Truth Social.
He reiterated the claim that Iran has been “decimated”.
