Hegseth Defends Iran Strikes, Pushes Back on Critics

0:00On March 19, Defense Secretary Pete Hexeth shared a personal moment during a Pentagon briefing this week, explaining to his young son why the U.S. launched strikes on Iran three weeks ago. He told the boy that 13 American service members have died, and over 200 have been wounded, so future generations avoid a nuclear threat from Iran. Earlier this week, Hexeth joined President Trump and families at Dover Air Force Base to honor six airmen killed in a KC-135 refueling. Playing crash over Western Iraq, officials say the incident happened in friendly territory and wasn't due to enemy action, part of the broader Operation Epic Fury. Hexeth pushed back hard against critics, calling the military campaign a clear success, and accusing media outlets of rooting for failure due to political bias. He also called out European allies for lacking gratitude, insisting the world-O's Trump thanks for stepping up. Skyrocketing oil prices are adding pressure, with gasoline now averaging $3.90 a gallon,

1:02up from $2.90 before. The conflict. The straight-of-for-mooze stays blocked by Iranian mines and missiles, driving global crude benchmarks like Brent to $114 a barrel, after recent spikes. Iran's retaliation hit a major Qatar gas field, angering U.S. Gulf partners who now demand no more strikes on energy sites. Hexeth vows this won't turn into another long slog by pass wars, as the administration eyes, quick results amid midterm election concerns.