Pete Hegseth sets the tone for Trump's politically incorrect war on Iran

"Operation Epic Fury was being fought on our terms, with maximum authorities, and without our traditional allies who wring their hands and clutch their pearls hemming and hawing about the use of force. When it comes to war fighting, the Trump administration are the children of the US forever wars in the Middle East."

"Both Hegseth and Trump himself had said that they wouldn't rule out putting boots on the ground leaving open the potential for a mission creep, despite their boasts that they were not in Iran to enable a democratic transition, let alone to engage in nation-building."

"This is not Iraq. This is not endless. I was there for both, he said. Our generation knows better, and so does this president. He called the last 20 years [incomplete in source]"

Pentagon leader Pete Hegseth defended Operation Epic Fury, a major US-Israeli military operation in Iran, by reframing it as resistance against political correctness rather than traditional military intervention. Despite Trump's previous criticism of Middle East wars and stated desire to avoid major interventions, the administration has launched significant military action without clear exit strategies. Hegseth and other administration officials, including JD Vance, served in Iraq and claim their generation learned from past mistakes. However, the administration has not ruled out deploying ground troops, leaving open possibilities for mission creep. Recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon, Iranian ballistic missile attacks, and deaths of US service members suggest potential regional escalation despite administration assurances that this conflict differs from previous Middle East wars.

Read at www.theguardian.com