Hegseth says Iran won't be a 'politically correct' war as he lays out US objectives: 'No democracy-building exercise'

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Monday 02 March 2026 11:05 EST


Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth championed President Donald Trump’s strikes on Iran in a press conference Monday morning, refuting concerns from the “fake news” media and “political left” that the conflict would lead to an “endless war.” “To the media outlets and political left screaming ‘endless wars,’ stop. This is not Iraq. This is not endless,” Hegseth said. “Our generation knows better and so does this president.”

The defense secretary insisted the strikes, which have led to a deadly exchange of fire in the region, would prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and harming more Americans, even as the operation has already killed four service members. Hegseth pushed back on other assertions about Trump’s motivation in conducting the strikes, saying America was doing things “on our terms.”

“No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise, no politically-correct wars. We fight to win,” Hegseth said. Striking a dogmatic tone, Hegseth praised U.S. partners who supported the mission, “unlike so many of our traditional allies, who wring their hands and clutch their pearls, hemming and hawing about the use of force.”

But when pressed with further questions about the goal of the operation, how many U.S. troops were involved and when officials anticipated its end, Hegseth declined to answer, taking up a more familiar tone toward the media. "I heard the question: ‘about four weeks’,” Hegseth said, referring to a reporter’s query about whether the operation would take four weeks.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/iran-strikes-trump-hegseth-speech-b2930211.html

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