U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Monday praised Israel as a “capable partner” and contrasted it with “many traditional allies” that have issues with fighting common enemies.
The U.S. armed forces have “clear missions,” Hegseth said on Monday during a Pentagon briefing on “Operation Epic Fury.” The U.S. launched it Saturday with Israel—where the operation is codenamed “Roaring Lion"—to neutralize the Iranian military threat, prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear arms and clear the path to regime change.
“Israel has clear missions as well, for which we are grateful. Capable partners, as we’ve said since the beginning, capable partners are good partners. Unlike so many of our traditional allies, who wring their hands and clutch their pearls, hemming and hawing about the use of force,” he said.
On Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the United States and Israel should have brought plans to strike Iran for a “debate” at the United Nations for the military action to have “legitimacy.”
Spain has condemned the U.S.-Israeli operation and said it does not agree to the use of its territory, where Washington has several military bases, for the operation. The United Kingdom agreed to let the United States use some of its bases but only for “defensive” actions, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday.
“Turns out the regime who chanted ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’ was gifted death from America, and death from Israel,” Hegseth said.
“America, regardless of what so-called international institutions say, is unleashing the most lethal and precise air power campaign in history,” he said. “B2s, fighters, drones, missiles, and, of course, classified effects. All on our terms with maximum authorities. No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy building exercise, no politically correct wars.”
The U.S. operation is “not a so-called regime change war, but the regime sure did change, and the world is better off for it,” Hegseth said.
U.S. forces “fight to win and we don’t waste time, or lives,” Hegseth said, adding: “As the president warned, an effort of this scope will include casualties. War is hell and always will be.”
Washington and Jerusalem have bombed hundreds of targets in Iran, including an initial strike that killed the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and dozens of his top commanders. On Sunday night, Hezbollah in Lebanon fired rockets at Israel, prompting strikes by the Israel Air Force in Beirut.
Hegseth reiterated the reasons for “Epic Fury,” saying: “Iran was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions.” That meant, “Our bases, our people, our allies, [were] all in their crosshairs. Iran had a conventional gun to our head as they tried to lie their way to a nuclear bomb.”
This “almost worked under [former President Barack] Obama and his terrible deal, but not under this president,” Hegseth said.
