The ‘repellent bloodlust’ of Pete Hegseth celebrating killing 100 Iranian soldiers
The News Agents describe Pete Hegseth’s celebration of the killing of more than 100 Iranian Navy officers as “repellent” – while Senator Mark Warner says his job of ‘secretary of war’ is a total fiction invented by Donald Trump.
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What’s the story?
Pete Hegseth has celebrated the "quiet death" of more than 100 Iranian soldiers, killed in international waters, thousands of miles from the current conflict in the Middle East.
His words, The News Agents say, were "repellent".
"This was never meant to be a fair fight and this is not a fair fight," Hegseth, Donald Trump's rebranded 'secretary of war', said after the US submarine strike.
“This was never meant to be a fair fight and this is not a fair fight,” Hegseth said in a televised address.
"We are punching them while they are down, and so it should be."
Lewis Goodall says Hegseth's words highlight just how different Trump’s administration is to any that has come before.
“America has long used the might of its military,” Lewis says.
“But I cannot remember any American politician talking with such bloodlust.”
Jon Sopel describes Hegseth as “revelling” in the deaths caused by the US submarine strike.
“When you think of the great military commanders that on the American side, on any side, do they revel in the death they're causing and the turmoil they're creating?” Jon asks.
“Do they say 'Look how many people we killed today?'
“That was the tone of Hegseth, and it was, frankly, repellent.”
Jon says the incident raises questions of both morality, and legality.
‘There is no such job as Secretary of War’
Democrat Virginia State Senator Mark Warner tells The News Agents he finds parts of Hegseth’s public persona “distasteful”.
Also, his job title is fake.
“There is no such role in the American government as Secretary of War – regardless of what executive orders the President puts in place,” Warner tells Jon and Lewis.
“The military is loyal to a constitution, not to individuals.”
He says most other American military leaders would never take the jubilant tone Hegseth did when speaking about the “very dangerous” parts of their job.
Why did Trump invade Iran now?
One of the big questions many have been asking about the US military assault on Iran has been, why now – and why not when Iranian protesters were being killed by government forces.
“That was in early January,” Warner says.
“Trump was fixated on Greenland.”
Additionally, one of the US aircraft carriers was engaged in Trump’s invasion of Venezuela at the time, half a world away from the Middle East.
He doubts the legitimacy of (numerous) reasons given by the Administration for military action now – nuclear weapons, ballistic weapons, regime change, or destroying its navy.
But he does believe the US was drawn into the war against Israel.
“The President said that Israel was going to attack, and that if Israel attacked, Iran would strike back at both Israel and America,” Warner adds.
He is critical of Trump following Benjamin Netanyahu’s government into military action, but also describes himself as a “strong supporter” of Israel.
“When we're talking about putting American lives at stake – and we have had six casualties already – there needs to be a demonstration that America is under imminent threat.
“Clearly that bar was not met.”