Pete Hegseth recently shared a poignant moment where he had to explain and defend the administration’s decision to enter into a conflict with Iran to his young son. This revelation came during a press briefing at the Pentagon on Thursday, where Hegseth addressed the ongoing war efforts.

During the briefing, the Defense Secretary recounted how his 13-year-old son walked into his office as he was preparing his remarks. Curious about the war and the families Hegseth had met at Dover, his son posed some challenging questions. Hegseth recalled telling him, “They died for you, son. So your generation doesn’t have to deal with a nuclear Iran.”

The conflict, initiated by former President Donald Trump three weeks ago, has already resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members, with more than 200 troops injured. This grim reality was underscored as Hegseth participated in a solemn ceremony at Dover Air Force Base, where he welcomed the fallen bodies of six U.S. airmen who lost their lives in Operation Epic Fury.

‘I looked at him and said, “They died for you, son. So your generation doesn’t have to deal with a nuclear Iran.”‘

Since Donald Trump launched his war against Iran three weeks ago, 13 US service member have been killed with over 200 troops wounded. 

Hegseth greeted the bodies six US airmen on Wednesday at Dover Air Force Base, who died during Operation Epic Fury. 

The President and other senior members of the administration were present at the dignified transfer alongside the families of the fallen troops. 

Last week, all six crew members on a KC-135 Air Force refueling aircraft were killed while flying over friendly territory in western Iraq. The plane’s crash was not caused by Iranian or enemy fire.

Later in the briefing, Hegseth declared the war in Iran an overwhelming success while blasting the media and America’s allies for ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome.’

He tore into the press who ‘want President Trump to fail,’ but said that the American people ‘know better.’

Hegseth lashed out at ‘ungrateful allies in Europe’, claiming that the entire world ‘should be saying one thing to President Trump: Thank You.’

Hegseth’s meltdown comes as skyrocketing oil prices have triggered fresh inflation warnings from central banks including the Federal Reserve.

Gasoline has surged to an average of $3.90 per gallon from $2.90 before the conflict began three weeks ago, while the Strait of Hormuz – through which a fifth of the world’s oil flows – remains blockaded by Iranian mines and missiles.

US crude jumped by 1.5 percent on Thursday, while Brent crude – the global benchmark – shot up by 5.9 percent, hitting $114 per barrel.

Hegseth insisted the war in Iran – which has so far killed 13 US troops and wounded 140 more across the Middle East – would not be the ‘quagmire’ of Iraq and Afghanistan, the legacy of ‘foolish politicians like Bush, Obama and Biden.’ 

The former Fox News host told the Pentagon briefing: ‘The media here wants you to think, just 19 days into this conflict, that we’re somehow spinning toward an endless abyss or quagmire. Nothing could be further from the truth.’

 

Trump has previously asked Israel to refrain from strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure amid growing concern over soaring prices as he faces crucial midterm elections in November.

America’s Arab allies were furious at Israel’s attack and the US failure to prevent it.

Gulf allies demanded the Trump administration halt all US and Israeli strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Gulf officials said they feel as though Israeli strikes have left them vulnerable in the war.