Hegseth once warned against endless wars. Now he’s leading Trump’s strike-first doctrine https://ift.tt/dClY63W
In a little over a year, the United States has carried out dozens of airstrikes on vessels in the Caribbean tied to alleged narco-trafficking networks, launched sustained operations against Houthi forces in the Red Sea, captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro , struck Iranian nuclear facilities and now embarked on an extended military campaign aimed at degrading Tehran’s missile, drone and command infrastructure. The tempo marks one of the most assertive stretches of American force projection in recent years, spanning Latin America, the Middle East and critical maritime corridors. For War Secretary Pete Hegseth , it also represents a striking turn. HEGSETH BLASTS BRITS, SAYS IRAN'S CHAOTIC RETALIATION HAS DRIVEN ITS OWN ALLIES 'INTO THE AMERICAN ORBIT' Just before the 2024 presidential election, he described himself as a "recovering neocon," expressing regret over his support for Iraq-era interventionism and warning against open-ended wars. Several ana...