Hegseth: 'We didn't start this war but under President Trump we're finishing it'

[groundloop]

Source: NPR

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Monday the U.S.-Israeli action against Iran was in response to the Islamic republic's years-long targeting of the U.S. military and interests around the world.

"We didn't start this war but under President Trump we're finishing it," he said.

The remarks are the administration's first in public to reporters since the U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran began Saturday despite weeks of talks designed to stave off a conflict. That operation – and Iran's retaliation – has resulted in the death of Iran's supreme leader and some of its senior leadership, embroiled other Middle Eastern nations in the conflict, and led to the deaths of four American service members in Kuwait.

"This is not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change," Hegseth said. "And the world is better off for it."



Read more: https://www.npr.org/2026/03/02/nx-s1-5732258/us-iran-hegseth-caine

---

tRump's chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also commented that the military objective will be difficult to achieve.

What the hell is the objective of Operation Epic Distraction?

[Whyisthisstillclose]

1. WTAF? Nonsensical babbling idiot says what?

[Farmer-Rick]

15. The pedo and the Nazis did start this war

Was Hegseth drunk again? Or still?

Does he think we believe the shit they spew?

Of course he and the pedo started this war. He thinks a pedo who drops bombs on people is more lovable than a pedo who just pretends he didn't diddel little girls.

[Hugin]

2. The objective is to declare an emergency.

Shutting down the midterm elections.

[sop]

3. Didn't John Wayne use that line in one of his movies? Maybe it was Clint Eastwood?

[Srkdqltr]

4. They think they are in a movie and its all scripted.

[Whip-poor-will]

26. professional actor

He does have a SAG card

[thomski64]

27. ..Hunger Games..

..after all it is a TV show..

[Srkdqltr]

28. That works. I had Marvel Universe in mind.

[groundloop]

5. If WE didn't start the war then who the hell did?

[Ferrets are Cool]

6. So much winning.

[karynnj]

7. Israel and the US most definitely started this war .. as they did the earlier one

that Trump credits himself with ending. Additionally, while many leaders were killed, it is early to say we changed the regime. Time will tell if the regime continues led by others or there is regime change for the better, worse or to an equally bad leadership.

[thesquanderer]

17. And if you want to trace it all the way back back, the U.S. started this war with Iran in 1953,

when we worked to overthrow their legitimately elected leader. All the trouble that's happened between Iran and the U.S. can be traced back to that.

And it started over oil, of course.

[karynnj]

18. It is even sadder in that it could have led

to Iran being a relatively moderate secular country. If so, it could have led to a far more stable, less troubled middle east.

[thomski64]

29. CIA and MI6 operation Ajax..

Install Reza Pahlavi and Savak (ICE)
Eliminate left wing opponents, leaving only Islamists who toppled our puppet in 1979.
After they held Embassy hostages, Reagan cut deal with Islamists to embarrass President Carter....but Krasnov only cares about
Grifting for
Oligarchy
Pedophiles

[Prairie Gates]

8. Netanyahu and Trump 100% started this war

They always begin with the most outrageous lie they can muster in order to make you doubt your basic understanding of reality. They are abusers, pure and simple. Trump raped teenage girls for years. Hegseth drugged and raped a woman at a conference. It is not a metaphor. They are abusers.

[tblue37]

9. Operation Epstein Fury.

[riversedge]

10. Hegseth... did not point to any threat of an imminent nuclear threat from Iran, and he said again that last

Hegseth... did not point to any threat of an imminent nuclear threat from Iran, and he said again that last summer’s strikes by the U.S. and Israel “obliterated their nuclear program to rubble.”

apnews.com/article/trum...

Hegseth... did not point to any threat of an imminent nuclear threat from Iran, and he said again that last summer’s strikes by the U.S. and Israel “obliterated their nuclear program to rubble.”

apnews.com/article/trum...

— (@oceancalm.bsky.social) 2026-03-02T15:22:11.531Z

[Emile]

11. That's some twisted bullshit.

[Karma13612]

12. Bull sh*t.

Negotiations for a nuclear disarmament were happening.

There was no freaking war going on.
Stop your damn gaslighting.

[kimbutgar]

13. You mean operation Epstein distraction!

[republianmushroom]

21. Nail it

[City Lights]

14. Wut?

Was he drunk again when he said that?

WTAF.

[Javaman]

16. ah yes, the new narrative.

we didn't start the war we started.

gotcha.

[GCG]

19. The US did start this war...in 1953!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat

[MW67]

20. Two more lies

Guess that's all they have got, lies.

[modrepub]

22. Congress Starts Wars Not the POTUS

You’d think someone in the M$M would point that out after the Secretary of Drunk made this statement.

So anyone want the speculate when our media crossed over into the propaganda arm of the state?

[raccoon]

23. "We" didn't start this war? I guess maybe it was leprechauns or Hobbits.

[mdbl]

24. As usual, he's under some kind of drunk delusion.

[Wonder Why]

25. What do you mean "we"? Speak for yourself , traitor!

[Skittles]

30. "four to five weeks"

sure, bro

[creon]

32. and pigs will fly

That fool is talking nosense.

[creon]

31. If Persia is attacked, a great empire will be destroyed

This will not end well.

[wcmagumba]

33. The Epstein/Trump war with Iran will never end...Russia and China are happy to continue sending missiles and drones

to anyone and everyone inside Iran for use against the US, UK and other allies...