Overview
- At a Pentagon briefing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed "no stupid rules of engagement," praised Israel as a "capable partner," and derided allied "pearl‑clutching" and "fake news."
- He detailed objectives to destroy Iran’s offensive missiles and production capacity, cripple its navy and security infrastructure, and prevent the country from ever obtaining nuclear weapons.
- Hegseth refused to outline the war’s duration or next steps, calling such disclosure "foolishness" when pressed on timelines referenced in questions about the president’s comments.
- Pentagon officials said joint U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures, while Hegseth insisted it is not a regime-change war even as he said "the regime sure did change."
- Critics warned that discarding customary rules of engagement risks violations of international humanitarian law and demanded clearer civilian oversight, with John Bolton publicly faulting Hegseth’s messaging as out of sync with the president.