Pete Hegseth, a former U.S. Army officer and prominent political commentator, issued a stark warning to Iran on Sunday: any retaliatory measures in response to recent U.S. airstrikes against Iranian nuclear sites will be met with overwhelming force by the United States military.
Hegseth, who advises conservative policymakers and is an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump, strongly defended U.S. military strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan as “critical steps toward re-establishing deterrence”. He warned Iran against any aggressive response.
Hegseth cautioned Iran that any attempt at striking back will be met with forceful and decisive retaliation from Washington and allies, whether directly or through proxy attacks. “Any retaliatory measure will be met with an equally forceful response that cannot be ignored.
U.S. forces launched coordinated airstrikes on Iran’s key nuclear facilities on Tuesday night, according to defense sources, in order to neutralize Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium beyond what international agreements allow. Satellite imagery reviewed by independent analysts indicated significant structural damage at Natanz and disruption at Fordow (an underground facility not typically targeted), two facilities previously shielded from traditional attacks.
Iranian officials have condemned the strikes as acts of war and promised a “strategic and proportionate” response. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) placed missile units on alert and signalled readiness for retaliation on various fronts – such as via regional proxy networks in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.
Hegseth, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan and is now a national security analyst on conservative media outlets, cautioned that Iran’s use of non-state actors would not protect it from accountability. “The days of Iran hiding behind militias are over; if rockets fly from Baghdad or drone attacks hit Yemen we will hold Tehran responsible,” said Hegseth.
White House officials have yet to respond directly to Hegseth’s warning, while National Security Council representatives stated that their priority remains avoiding war while still having the ability to defend American interests and allies when necessary. President Biden will make his remarks on Middle East situation later this week.
International responses and rhetoric regarding the strikes remain sharply divided. Israel and several Gulf nations applauded U.S. action while European nations called for restraint, warning further escalation could lead to regional chaos. Russia and China both condemned U.S. strikes as reckless actions which should be resolved diplomatically without delay.
Tensions continue to mount across the region as U.S. military bases in Iraq and the Gulf have tightened security while airlines have started rerouting flights around Iranian airspace, leading to oil prices increasing by over 6% globally on fears of wider conflict.
As the world closely observes, voices such as Hegseth’s represent an increasing segment of American political opinion that favors taking a hardline stance toward Iran’s nuclear ambitions. How Iran responds will ultimately determine if we enter open conflict or not.