Pete Hegseth | DD News

April 29, 2026 10:23 PM

Pentagon’s Hegseth defends Iran war, says not a quagmire

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to defend the Iran war in fiery remarks to Congress on Wednesday, saying it was not a quagmire and attacking Democratic lawmakers as "feckless" for criticizing the unpopular conflict. Hegseth was testifying before Congress for the first time since the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28 that has led to a surge in gasoline prices. Trump's popularity has taken a pounding since the conflict began and just 34% of Americans approv...

November 20, 2025 4:58 PM

U.S. approves $93 million sale of Javelin missiles, Excalibur rounds to India

The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of Javelin anti-tank missile systems and Excalibur guided artillery munitions worth $93 million to India, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said on Wednesday. According to DSCA, India requested 100 FGM-148 Javelin missiles, one fly-to-buy missile, 25 command launch units, and 216 Excalibur tactical projectiles. The agency said the proposed sale would strengthen the U.S.-India strategic relationship and enhance the security of a �...

November 2, 2025 6:37 PM

Pentagon chief urges closer ties with Vietnam amid prolonged arms supply talks

The United States wants deeper military ties with Vietnam, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday at the start of a visit to Hanoi, amid prolonged talks for the potential supply of military equipment to Washington's former foe. The Southeast Asian nation, which relies heavily on Russian weapons, has been looking to diversify its arsenal for years. Talks with the United States, which lifted an arms embargo in 2016, gained momentum during the Biden administration but have not yet yiel...

November 2, 2025 12:10 PM

Hegseth says US ready to share tools to help allies counter ‘aggressive’ China

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Saturday took aim at Beijing over an increase in "destabilising actions" in the South China Sea and committed to support Southeast Asian countries with technology to help them respond jointly to Chinese threats. On a second day in Kuala Lumpur packed with meetings that included multilateral talks with allies Australia, Japan and the Philippines, Hegseth proposed to ASEAN defence ministers the building of shared maritime domain awareness and said China had shown a ...

October 31, 2025 12:52 PM

India, US sign landmark 10-year defence framework in Malaysia

India and the United States on Friday signed a 10-year Defence Framework Agreement, marking a new era in their growing partnership. The agreement, exchanged between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Kuala Lumpur, provides a long-term policy direction for the US–India Major Defence Partnership. The development underscores the expanding strategic alignment between New Delhi and Washington. Announcing the agreement, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth described ...

October 23, 2025 12:35 PM

US military strikes suspected drug vessels in the eastern Pacific ocean

The U.S. military killed five alleged drug smugglers in strikes against two vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday, in an expansion of the Trump administration's use of the armed forces in its counter-narcotics campaign. On Wednesday afternoon, Hegseth said the military attacked a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean and killed two men on Tuesday. It was the first known U.S. military operation in the Pacific since President Donald Trump kicked...

October 15, 2025 10:25 PM

Hegseth warns Moscow US will ‘impose costs’ if Ukraine war does not end

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Moscow on Wednesday that the United States and its allies would "impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression" if the war in Ukraine does not come to an end. "If we must take this step, the U.S. War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do," Hegseth said at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group of Kyiv's allies at NATO headquarters. Hegseth did not elaborate. His comments came as U.S. President ...

July 3, 2025 10:26 AM

India, US to sign new 10-year Defence Framework this year

India and the United States have agreed to sign a new 10-year US-India Defence Framework by the end of this year, US Senior Defence Spokesperson Colonel Chris Devine has said. According to a statement from the Pentagon, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh agreed during a phone conversation on Tuesday to finalise and sign the new framework when they meet later this year. In a post on X, Rajnath Singh said, “Glad to speak with the US Secretary of D...

July 2, 2025 10:58 PM

US gives India priority as key South Asia defence partner: Pete Hegseth

The US gives India priority as its “key defence partner in South Asia”, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has affirmed to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, according to Pentagon spokesperson Colonel Chris Devine. “When he spoke to Rajnath Singh on Tuesday, Hegseth emphasised the priority the US places on India as its key defence partner in South Asia,” Devine said. He pointed out that both leaders reviewed the considerable progress the two countries have made toward achieving the defence go...

June 27, 2025 9:56 AM

No known intelligence that Iran moved uranium, US defence chief says

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said he was unaware of any intelligence suggesting Iran had moved any of its highly enriched uranium to shield it from U.S. strikes, amid continuing questions about the state of Iran's nuclear program. U.S. military bombers carried out strikes against three Iranian nuclear facilities early Sunday local time using more than a dozen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs. The results of the strikes are being closely watched to see how far they may have s...