US Defense Secretary Pete Hoekstra said that the first two months of the war in Iran had been a success. He told a congressional hearing that the main aim – stopping Tehran from getting nuclear weapons – had been achieved. He compared the current operation to the long wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam, and said he was proud of the results and the resolve of President Donald Trump. The Pentagon chief also had some strong words for those in Congress who are against the war, saying their complaints about how long the fighting is going on is ‘reckless and defeatist’. He also said that these politicians are one of the main domestic opponents of the US’s strategy.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hagset compared the operation in Iran to past, protracted US wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam. At the same time, he said that after two months of war, he’s pretty happy with how things are going. The Pentagon chief said all this in his opening statement at a hearing before the US House of Representatives committee, according to the New York Post.
“After two months of a big debate about how to keep American people safe, Iran can’t have a nuclear bomb. We’re pretty proud of this project. I’m really impressed that President Trump had the courage to do this,” he said.
He also had something to say to the people criticising the war in Iran about how long the military operation was going to take.
“My generation remembers how long we were in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam,” he said, talking about how long the US was involved in military operations abroad.
At the same time, Pete Hagset described the people criticising the war in Iran in Congress – both Democrats and some Republicans – as “the greatest adversary we face right now”, calling their reproaches “reckless, irresponsible and defeatist”.