Hegseth

• On March 20, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the Pentagon's request for $200 billion in extra funding, stating 'it takes money to kill bad guys'. • The request supports ongoing U.S. offensives, including jet patrols and helicopter strikes against Iranian forces in key waterways. • Funding comes amid surging oil prices from Iranian attacks on facilities, prompting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to propose lifting sanctions on Iranian oil.

Defense secretary had said relatives of service members killed in refueling tanker crash told him ‘do not stop until the job is done’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe father of a US military member killed in the Iran war has contradicted Pete Hegseth’s claim that bereaved families urged him to “finish” the job in the Middle East.Hegseth, the defense secretary and a former weekend Fox News host, told reporters at a Pentagon briefing on Thursday that he had spoken with relatives of all six service members killed in last week’s refueling tanker crash during a “dignified transfer” of their remains at Delaware’s Dover air force station the night before. Continue reading...

US defense secretary suggests Thursday will be ‘largest strike package yet … death and destruction from above’ Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said on Thursday there is no “timeframe” for ending the US war against Iran and did not deny reports that the Pentagon could seek an extra $200bn in taxpayer funding.The military US-Israeli offensive began three weeks ago and continues to widen. Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to “massively blow up” the world’s biggest gasfield after Israeli strikes on the Iranian site prompted Tehran to escalate strikes on oil and gas facilities around the Persian Gulf. Continue reading...

Defense secretary appeared to endorse killing prisoners, a violation of international law, during press briefingA top Democratic lawmaker with a military background has reacted strongly to US defense secretary Pete Hegseth’s call for “no quarter” for US enemies during a Friday press briefing at the Pentagon, calling such an order – if followed by troops – a potential violation of international law.The US senator Mark Kelly, of Arizona, posted on Friday on X that “‘No quarter’ isn’t some wanna be tough guy line – it means something. An order to give no quarter would mean to take no prisoners and kill them instead.” Continue reading...

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated Friday that Iran is exercising 'sheer desperation' in counterattacks against the US and Israel, following the crash of a refueling plane in western Iraq that killed six airmen. The incident raises the total US troop deaths in the operation to 13, with officials confirming no hostile fire involvement. Hegseth's remarks precede reports of 2,500 Marines and a warship deploying to the region, signaling escalation. Analysts warn of prolonged conflict risks amid rising casualties and regional instability.