Hegseth: “You’re missing the point”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday the U.S. had to go to war with Iran because the country had not abandoned its nuclear ambitions despite American strikes on its underground facilities last June that the Pentagon claimed had “obliterated” their nuclear program.

“We had to start this war, you just said, 60 days ago, because the nuclear weapons was an imminent threat. Now you’re saying that it was completely obliterated?” asked Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the Armed Services Committee ranking member.

“They had not given up their nuclear ambitions,” Secretary Hegseth replied.

“So Operation Midnight Hammer accomplished nothing of substance and left us at exactly the same place we were before,” Rep. Smith pressed. “So much so that we had to start a war.”

“You’re missing the point,” Secretary Hegseth replied. “Their facilities were bombed and obliterated. Their ambitions continued.”

Rep. Smith noted that the current operations had also not caused Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions, but had spurred it to close the Strait of Hormuz, creating a global economic crisis.

“Since the war started, Iran’s nuclear arsenal has not been weakened in any way. And in the moment in negotiations, what Iran is saying — basically, pay us to open up the strait,” he said. “Now we’re negotiating to get back to status quo.”

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