Pete Hegseth

Trump says Iran can be taken out in one night, reveals details on fighter pilots' rescue mission

Trump has threatened to rain "hell" on Tehran if it did not make a deal by the end of Tuesday that would allow traffic to start moving again through the vital route for global energy supplies.

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump speaks, while Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth looks on, as they hold a press conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 6, 2026.
US President Donald Trump arrives from the Blue Room to speak about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington.

Trump initially feared radio message from downed US airman was Iranian trap - Axios

 Israeli soldiers stand near an Iranian missile embedded in the ground on March 24, 2026 in the Palestinian village of Hares, West Bank. Iranian missiles have routinely flown over, and sometimes landed in, the West Bank during Israel's war with Iran.

US intel. says half of Iran’s weapons are still intact as Trump, Netanyahu claim otherwise - report

US President Donald Trump holds a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026.

Trump considers cabinet shake-up as several senior officials face possible removal -report


Israel needs to change its US strategy with Trump, Hegseth in charge - opinion

Unlike previous administrations, Donald Trump is willing – even eager – to reduce Israel’s dependence on the United States.

US DEFENSE SECRETARY Pete Hegseth speaks during the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, in December 2025.

Wiles says Trump has 'an alcoholic’s personality', claims Musk is microdosing, Vance conspiracist

Susie Wiles, Trump's campaign manager-turned chief of staff, made some less-than-flattering remarks about the president, JD Vance, and Pete Hegseth in a candid interview with 'Vanity Fair.'

U.S. President Donald Trump is reflected on the glasses of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles as he speaks to the media, before he departs en route to Norfolk, Virginia, October 5, 2025.

Silicon Valley-backed defense firms face growing pains after hot streak

Defense-tech companies face a bigger challenge: moving beyond research and prototype contracts to producing weapons at scale

The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, DC, US, March 3, 2022.

Hegseth says he would have ordered second strike on Caribbean vessel

"I fully support that strike," Hegseth said at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. "I would have made the same call myself."

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, US, December 6, 2025.

Did the US military commit a war crime in boat attack off Venezuela? - explainer

Members of Congress said they would investigate whether or not the US military broke the law during its strikes on a suspected drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean.

US President Donald Trump attends a cabinet meeting with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the White House in Washington, DC, US, December 2, 2025.

Democrats troubled by video of US strike on Caribbean drug boat, Republicans defend attack

The second strike, ordered by Admiral Frank Bradley, led some lawmakers to suggest that the US may have violated the law of war.

US Navy Admiral Frank "Mitch" Bradley walks in a hallway, as he departs a classified briefing for leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee on US strikes against Venezuelan boats suspected of smuggling drugs, on Capitol Hill in Washington, December 4, 2025.

New York Times sues Pentagon over press access

The Times challenges a Pentagon rule that could label reporters as security risks for seeking sensitive information.

People walk by The New York Times building in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., September 16, 2025.

Pentagon review faults Hegseth over Signal messages on Yemen strikes, sources say

Hegseth shared details on the imminent March 15 launch of attacks on Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi fighters with a group of security officials and accidentally included reporter Jeffrey Goldberg

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, after a meeting of NATO Defense Ministers at the Alliance headquarters, in Brussels, Belgium October 15, 2025.

White House says admiral approved second strike on boat from Venezuela, defends attack as lawful

The White House says Admiral Frank Bradley acted within the law, as lawmakers question the operation’s legality.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a meeting with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader at the National Palace, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic November 26, 2025.

Republicans press for answers on Venezuela strikes despite Trump’s backing

Republican lawmakers are demanding clarity on Venezuela boat strikes after reports of a second, possibly illegal, strike.

The US Navy’s Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, including the flagship USS Gerald R. Ford, USS Winston S. Churchill, USS Mahan and USS Bainbridge, sail towards the Caribbean Sea under F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, in the Atlantic Ocean November 13, 2025.