WASHINGTON: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday that the United States had achieved a “historic military victory by all measures” in Iran, asserting that U.S. forces had attacked more than 13,000 targets in less than 40 days of combat and sunk the Iranian naval fleet. He added that U.S. President Donald Trump had not delayed confronting the issue with Iran but had instead delivered a “devastating blow.” He also argued that the media could not acknowledge the military success achieved by the United States. In a related context, Hegseth described the efforts to impeach and question him in the House of Representatives as a “farce,” stating that they were driven by political differences and were not based on high crimes, misdemeanors, treason, or bribery.
He said the attempt to impeach him represented an effort by one man to exploit his final days in Congress to harm the president and the country. He warned that this step sent a message to the enemies of the United States that Washington punishes its fighters and leadership for conducting “legitimate and successful” military operations. The U.S. Defense Secretary noted that the United States had not started the war, but that Iran had initiated it 47 years ago. He added that Republicans still controlled Congress and should achieve gains while the opportunity existed. Hegseth confirmed that his country would continue to closely monitor the situation in Iran at multiple levels.
