'We didn’t start this, but will finish it,' says US War Secretary as he reveals details of Iran’s ‘nuclear blackmail’ plan
Pete Hegseth warned that 'war is hell and it always will be' and said the US was working to crush the Islamic regime in Iran
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has claimed the US "didn't start the war" with Iran but said "under President Trump we will finish it."
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Hegseth told reporters on Monday that the Iranian regime had waged a "savage, one-sided war against America" for the past" 47 long years."
His comments come after suspected Iranian strikes hit the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar, in response to the US and Israeli blasts on Saturday morning, which killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
During a press conference, Hegseth said: "We didn't start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it."
Read more: Iran - US strikes LIVE: Trump blasts Starmer for taking "far too long" over Chagos
He also claimed the US had given Iran "every chance" to agree to a resolution on its nuclear programme, but said they "were not negotiating and were stalling."
He said that "Iran was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions."
"We hope the Iranian people take advantage of this incredible opportunity," he added.
"This is not Iraq, this is not endless. Our generation knows better and so does this President.
"War is hell and always will be. Our grateful nation honours the four Americans we have lost thus far and those injured – the absolute best of America."
Three US fighter jets were shot down by Kuwaiti air defences in an apparent friendly fire incident on Sunday evening, the US Central Command confirmed.
In its statement, Central Command confirmed that all six aircrew had ejected safely, and are in stable condition after being recovered.
A Kuwaiti Defence Ministry spokesman confirmed multiple US military planes crashed in the early hours of Monday morning.
The US military said: "Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation."
Three US military service members were also killed in action in the Middle East after a warship was struck by Iran in retaliation to the US-Israeli strikes.
Hegseth also confirmed there were no American soldiers on the ground in Iran but hinted they could send troops in the future.
He said: "We won’t go into the exercise of what we will or won’t do. We'll go as far as we need to go."
Earlier on Monday, President Trump said he was "very disappointed" in Sir Keir Starmer after the UK initially blocked the US from using the Diego Garcia military base to strike Iran.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Trump said Sir Keir "took far too long" to change his mind.
He said: "That’s probably never happened between our countries before. It sounds like he was worried about the legality."
The Prime Minister reversed the decision on Sunday evening, stating that he would allow them access for "specific and limited defensive purposes."