Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made secret visit to US troops fighting Iran: ‘I witnessed warriors’
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth revealed new photographs on Tuesday documenting his previously undisclosed trip last Saturday to meet U.S. forces engaged in the ongoing campaign against Iran.
The images show Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor and Army National Guard officer, interacting with service members: shaking hands, addressing groups of troops, and wearing a military aviation headset as he appears to communicate with pilots preparing for operations over Iran.
Hegseth described the visit on X, writing, “I witnessed warriors. A brotherhood of men and women – warriors all.” He first announced the trip during a Pentagon press briefing Tuesday morning, describing the half-day journey as “an honor.”
“At the podium, I had the chance to bear witness to the best of America,” Hegseth said. “Active-duty, Guard, and reserve members united in their care for one another, their shared mission, and their dedication to the task at hand.”
He detailed the efficiency and intensity he observed. “Right when we landed, another C-17 arrived just minutes after us. Within 30 seconds of it stopping, the ground team began unloading cargo. Wartime speed,” Hegseth said.
He described a similar sense of urgency across the base: “On the ground, in the air, on the flight line, in the tactical operations center — I heard, ‘We want everything faster. Higher operational tempo. Wartime speed.’”
Hegseth also highlighted the contrast between these troops and those who served in the long campaigns of Iraq and Afghanistan following 9/11. “The sense of duty was different,” he said. “Unlike rotational units in prior wars, where uncertainty and indefinite deployments were the norm, these troops were carrying out a defined, short-term mission with focus and determination.”
His observations directly challenge critics who have warned that the weeks-long military campaign against Iran could expand into a prolonged U.S. presence in the Middle East.
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