WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers Wednesday that the Pentagon was providing possible options to President Donald Trump as he decides next steps on Iran but would not say whether the military was planning to assist with Israeli strikes, an action that could risk dragging America into a wider war in the Middle East.
Hegseth was on Capitol Hill for the last of his series of oftenΒ combative hearingsΒ before lawmakers, who have pressed him on everything from a ban on transgender troops to hisΒ use of a Signal chatΒ to share sensitive military plans earlier this year.
In questioning before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hegseth said βmaximum force protection” was being provided forΒ U.S. troops in the Middle EastΒ and that it is Trumpβs decision whether to provide Israel aΒ βbunker buster” bombΒ to strike at the core of Iran’s nuclear program, which would require U.S. pilots flying a B-2 stealth bomber. He would not indicate what the U.S. may do next.
Israel has struck multiple Iranian nuclear facilities in the last several days but one of its key uranium production sites, Fordo, requires the deep penetrating munition.
Trump would not say Wednesday whether he has decided to order a U.S. strike on Iran, a move that Tehran warned anew would be greeted with stiff retaliation if it happens.
βI may do it, I may not do it,βΒ TrumpΒ said in an exchange with reporters at the White House. βI mean, nobody knows what Iβm going to do.β
Trump added that itβs not βtoo lateβ for Iran to give up its nuclear program as he continues to weigh direct U.S. involvement in Israelβs military operations aimed at crushingΒ Tehranβs nuclear program.
Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier Wednesday warned that the United States that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will βresult in irreparable damage for themβ and that his country would not heed to Trumpβs call for Iran to back down.
βI say good luck,β Trump said when asked about the supreme leaderβs refusal to surrender.
Hegseth said the U.S. military was readying options forΒ Trump.
βThey should have made a deal. President Trumpβs word means something — the world understands that. And at the Defense Department, our job is to stand ready and prepared with options. And thatβs precisely what weβre doing,β Hegseth said.
The U.S. hasΒ shifted significant numbersΒ of refueling tanker and fighter aircraft to position them to be able to respond to the escalating conflict, such as supporting possible evacuations, or airstrikes. Hegseth said this week that was done to protect U.S. personnel and airbases.
Hegseth’s testimony last week in three congressional hearings also was taken over by events, with theΒ Trump administration dispatching the National GuardΒ and 700 active-duty Marines to theΒ protests in Los AngelesΒ against California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wishes. It came just ahead of aΒ massive military paradeΒ to celebrate the Army’s 250th birthday, which coincided with Trump’s birthday.
In the previous hearings β where Hegseth appeared to discuss the Pentagon’s spending plan β lawmakers made it clear they are unhappy that Hegseth has not provided full details on theΒ administrationβs first proposed defense budget.
Trump has said it would total $1 trillion, a significant increase over the current spending level of more than $800 billion.
Hegseth, who is appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, has spent vast amounts of time during his first months in office promoting theΒ social changes heβs makingΒ at the Pentagon. Heβs been far less visible in the administrationβs more critical international security crises and negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and Iran.
For example, Hegseth directed theΒ renaming of a Navy shipΒ that had honored Harvey Milk, a slain gay rights activist who served as a sailor during the Korean War. He also has touted other moves to eradicate diversity, equity and inclusion programs and said aΒ ban on transgender troops in the militaryΒ was a way to regain the βwarrior ethos.β
Wednesday’s hearing was the first time Hegseth has gone before some senators since heΒ squeaked through his Senate confirmationΒ with a tie-breaking vote. It was the closest vote of any Trump Cabinet member.
While he has talked a lot about making the military more lethal, it was his use of the unclassified, unsecuredΒ Signal messaging appΒ that quickly caught public attention.
Set up by then-national security adviser Mike Waltz, a group chat that included Hegseth and other senior administration leaders was used toΒ share information about upcoming military strikesΒ against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The chat came to light because the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, wasΒ inadvertently added to it. Waltz took responsibility for the gaffe, but Hegseth was roundly criticized for sharing details about the military strikes in that chat and in another one that included his wife and brother.
The Pentagon’s watchdog isΒ looking into Hegseth’s use of Signal and expected to issue a report soon.
