Iran 'hell-bent on prophetic Islamist delusions' cannot have nuclear weapons, Hegseth says


US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday that “crazy regimes like Iran, hell-bent on prophetic Islamist delusions, cannot have nuclear weapons,” as he defended a major US military operation against Tehran ordered by President Donald Trump.
Speaking at a news conference, Hegseth said the operation, launched two days ago under Trump’s direct orders, was “the most lethal, most complex and most precise aerial operation in history.”
He accused Iran’s leadership of waging what he called a decades-long war against the United States through proxy forces and attacks on US targets in the Middle East.
“We didn’t start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it,” Hegseth said.
“If you kill Americans, if you threaten Americans anywhere on Earth, we will hunt you down without apology and without hesitation, and we will kill you,” he added.
Hegseth said Trump had drawn a clear line after years of what he called Iranian belligerence and reiterated that Washington would not allow Tehran to obtain nuclear weapons.