Pete Hegseth reshared a Truth Social post from Donald Trump that appears to endorse the idea that the United States could “help” Iran and the people of the country, who are “looking for freedom.” The message comes a week after the Trump administration apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
“Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before,” Trump wrote on the platform. “The USA stands ready to help!!!”
The message came two hours after Trump also insisted the United States is “the Hottest and most Successful Country anywhere in the WORLD!!!”
Hegseth also later shared a post from the X account for the U.S. Central Command account about Operation Hawkeye Strike, which conducted large-scale strikes against alleged ISIS targets in Syria Saturday.
“We will never forget, and never relent,” the Secretary of War captioned the post.
The strikes in Syria ‘targeted ISIS throughout Syria as part of our ongoing commitment to root out Islamic terrorism against our warfighters, prevent future attacks, and protect American and partner forces in the region,” U.S. Central Command wrote in its post. “U.S. and coalition forces remain resolute in pursuing terrorists who seek to harm the United States.”
In November Hegseth came under scrutiny after he allegedly ordered American troops to “kill everybody” aboard a boat suspected of transporting drugs off the coast of Venezuela. Hegseth dismissed the Post’s reporting as “fake news” in a lengthy post shared on X.
“As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be ‘lethal, kinetic strikes,’” he wrote. “The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization.”
He added, “Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict — and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command.”
