US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the deaths of soldiers in combat only strengthen the resolve of the US and its allies, according to Israeli security analyst Yair Goldblatt and regional media reports.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been confirmed as the speaker behind the statement that 'the deaths of soldiers in combat only strengthen our resolve,' correcting an earlier report that attributed it to Israel's war minister. The corrected identification emerged at 21:49 Jerusalem, moments after The Zioneer's initial report at 21:46 Jerusalem, which cited Amichai Stein (i24NEWS). Security analyst Yair Goldblatt and regional media reports provided the accurate attribution.
The thread began at 21:45 Jerusalem when Stein reported the quote as coming from Israel's war minister. The Zioneer published that version at 21:46. Within minutes, additional messages clarified that the speaker was actually US Defense Secretary Hegseth. The desk has updated the record accordingly.
As The Zioneer has reported, Hegseth has a history of forceful statements regarding US military posture. On June 10, he warned that the US would 'hit Iran hard on its own terms' and said it would 'negotiate through bombs' if necessary. He also held a call with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on June 15.
The source of the initial misattribution remains unexplained, but the correction has been promptly issued.
2 developments
- DevelopingHegseth: If we have to negotiate through bombs, we'll negotiate through bombs
- DevelopingHegseth: Iran forced to negotiating table out of American strength
- DevelopingHegseth: 'Iran made a miserable decision. Now they are paying.'
- DevelopingUS Defense Secretary Hegseth: Israel's Lebanon response restrained, Iran must rein in Hezbollah
Source and signal
- Internal intake