‘Pete Hegseth’s Iran war-crimes boast is the small dick energy we’ve come to expect’

What’s the story?

The US and Israel first invaded Iran in February 2026, but it wasn’t until this week that Pete Hegseth, US secretary of ‘war’, answered questions in Congress about the invasion.

It is estimated to have cost America $25 billion dollars, and resulted in next to nothing – other than soaring prices for oil and gas across the world.

When faced with questions about this unfathomable sum of money, Hegseth accused California Democrat Ro Khanna of asking “gotcha” questions in what Emily Maitlis describes as an “extraordinary exchange”.

“He's treating a member of Congress as if he was a dog shit member of the press – which is, frankly, how Pete Hegseth talks to people most of the time – because they are asking about the cost to normal Americans of this war,” Emily says.

His only real response to the question was to fire back and ask what the cost of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon would be – a comment perhaps more loaded than it might at first appear.

“What Hegseth has said is, there will never be a nuclear bomb whilst America is watching Iran. In other words, he is setting open this idea that it is a Forever War.

“This is going to be a cost that escalates massively for America. And if it escalates for America, it escalates for us too.”

Why the UK is also financially screwed by America’s actions

Learning this week that BP profits had more than doubled due to soaring oil prices caused by the Iran war was a tough pill to swallow, but it’s likely to get even worse down the line.

Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England has suggested food inflation between 6.2 and 7%, along with the possible need for a forced raise in interest rates to over 5%, in a move Jon describes as “absolutely crucifying for homeowners”.

So when your mortgage rates go up, remember you’ve got Trump, and Benjamin Netanyahu, to thank.

What Hegseth revealed with his ‘small dick energy’ responses

Hegseth’s counter question about Iran obtaining a nuke is legitimate, say Jon, but stonewalling scrutiny about the cost to the American public, he adds, is “tone deaf”.

“It is unbelievable that a war that has been going on for weeks and weeks, but this is the first time anyone from the executive is held to account by the lawmakers that pay the bills for the Pentagon, and taking such resentment and umbrage at the question,” Jon says.

But has America, and Israel, put an end to Iran’s nuclear capabilities, or is the only real outcome, so far, of their war in Iran to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, lock down 30% of the world’s oil and send countries worldwide into a tailspin towards recession.

“They are not stopping anything from happening that wasn't happening before – except for oil getting through the Strait,” says Emily.

Lewis Goodall says that for the decades over which America has been concerned about Iran’s nuclear capabilities, there have only ever been two options: Defeat, or make a deal.

But with Hegseth’s inference of a long term war, he’s neither committing to putting troops on the ground, or using diplomacy to end the war.

“Nothing about what America is currently doing actually takes us any closer to that point. Right now, all that's happening is it's rocking the world economy,” Lewis says.

“We've got used to this absurdly macho, small dick energy behaviour from Hegseth.”

Hegseth also stood by a statement made in March this year, saying America would give Iran “no quarter” – meaning it would show no mercy to the country or its people, no matter how incapacitated they become or if they are pleading for mercy.

This is a war crime.

"It's not even yielding the thing that everybody wants, which is no nuclear war,” Lewis adds.

"But you have an American defence secretary with his hair slicked back, shouting in a suit that's far too small, basically bragging about the idea that he's instructed his own soldiers to commit war crimes.

“This is how far we've gone.”

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