Americas

Americas

Hegseth spars with lawmaker over purpose of war and Iran's nuclear "ambitions"

29 April 2026 20:27 (UTC +04:00)

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth insisted Wednesday that the Iran war was necessary because Iran had not let go of its “nuclear ambitions,” even though he and his chief spokesperson said Iran’s nuclear ambitions were “obliterated” in US strikes in June last year, APA reports citing CNN.

“Their nuclear facilities have been obliterated, underground they’re buried, and we’re watching them 24/7 so we know where any nuclear material might be,” Hegseth said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing.

“We had to start this war, you just said, 60 days ago, because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat. Now you’re saying it was completely obliterated?” Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the committee, asked.

“They had not given up their nuclear ambitions,” Hegseth said. “And they had a conventional shield of thousands of—”

Smith interrupted Hegseth.

“So Operation Midnight Hammer accomplished nothing of substance and left us at exactly the same place we were before,” Smith said. “So much so that we had to start a war.”

“You’re missing the point,” Hegseth pressed. “Their facilities were bombed and obliterated; their ambitions continued.”