Trump Blames Defense Secretary for Iran War Decisions
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was the first to push for military action against Iran, saying at a Tennessee roundtable: “Pete, I think you were the first one to speak up, and you said, ‘Let’s do it because you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.’”
The conflict has entered its fourth week amid conflicting accounts from the U.S.
administration. Some officials say Israel was ready to strike regardless, while others cite Iran’s nuclear program as the justification.
Trump also called Iran’s retaliatory strikes “unexpected,” contradicting reports that warnings had been issued internally but ignored.
The war, which began with U.S. strikes in late February, has killed over 1,500 in Iran, 1,000 in Lebanon, 15 in Israel, and 13 American service members.
Trump extended his Monday deadline for Iran by five days, leaving ongoing uncertainty about who ultimately decided to initiate the attacks.