Pete Hegseth

US Defense Secretary Hegseth cancels visit to Israel following Iran strikes, source tells 'Post'

Hegseth, who is in Ankara alongside US President Donald Trump for the NATO summit, was expected to make a brief visit against the backdrop of the American strikes against Iran.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth holds a briefing on the Iran war, with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine (not pictured), at the Pentagon in Washington, US, May 5, 2026.
US President Donald Trump talks to reporters after signing an executive order dealing with automobile repairs with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin in the Oval Office at the White House on June 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Trump weighed return to all-out war with Iran, holds back to save nuclear disarmament deal - report

A pro-Palestinian protester wearing a press shirt holds a photo of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a red handprint on it, near Netanyahu’s hotel during the 80th session of the UN’s General Assembly, in September 2025. PremiumPremium

Young Americans don't hate Israel - they hate the Israel they think they know - opinion

A satellite view shows the Ali Al Salem Base, after Iranian strikes, near Al Jahra, Kuwait, March 1, 2026.

Wounded US soldiers accuse Pentagon of downplaying injuries - report


'Must be held accountable': Trump admin. sued over deaths in boat strike off Venezuela's coast

The Center for Constitutional Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union filed the novel lawsuit under the Death on the High Seas Act and the Alien Tort Statute.

Family members of Chad Joseph who believe Joseph was killed in a US military strike on a boat in the Caribbean, sit together as his family demands evidence to support US President Donald Trump’s claim that the victims were drug traffickers, in Las Cuevas, Trinidad and Tobago October 16, 2025.

Pentagon's 2026 defense strategy names Israel a ‘model ally,’ shifts to ‘peace through strength’

The 34-page document, signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, constitutes a strategic message to Israel, solidifying its position as the United States' most senior partner in the Middle East.

This picture taken 26 December 2011 shows the Pentagon building in Washington, DC.

Rubio says US plan for Venezuela is stability, recovery, then transition

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US plans to stabilize Venezuela, secure access for US oil companies, and oversee a political transition, drawing sharp Democratic criticism.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (L) speak following a closed door Senate meeting on the US capture of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, and his wife Cilia Flores, January 7, 2026.

Trump's internal shifts in the US: How peace through strength restored global stability - opinion

Peace through strength is not outdated doctrine. It is the only doctrine that has ever stabilized a dangerous world.

US President Donald Trump with US officials in the war room as the US conducts an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, 2026.

Donald Trump’s contempt for logic could end in devastation for the United States - opinion

When the US president dismisses logic, the danger extends beyond politics to disaster for the world.

US President Donald Trump is seen at a meeting in the White House earlier this month. The president wants to be visibly anti-intellectual, the writer says.

US, Jordanian forces conduct joint strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria, Hegseth confirms

The attacks come after US President Donald Trump vowed to retaliate after an attack on US personnel last weekend in Syria by a suspected Islamic State terrorist.

US soldiers attached to the Iowa National Guard sign GBU-31 munitions systems in the US Central Command area of responsibility December 18, 2025 as the US military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria in retaliation for an attack on US personnel.

Israel needs to change its US strategy with Trump, Hegseth in charge - opinion

Unlike previous administrations, Donald Trump is willing – even eager – to reduce Israel’s dependence on the United States.

US DEFENSE SECRETARY Pete Hegseth speaks during the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, in December 2025.

Wiles says Trump has 'an alcoholic’s personality', claims Musk is microdosing, Vance conspiracist

Susie Wiles, Trump's campaign manager-turned chief of staff, made some less-than-flattering remarks about the president, JD Vance, and Pete Hegseth in a candid interview with 'Vanity Fair.'

U.S. President Donald Trump is reflected on the glasses of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles as he speaks to the media, before he departs en route to Norfolk, Virginia, October 5, 2025.

Silicon Valley-backed defense firms face growing pains after hot streak

Defense-tech companies face a bigger challenge: moving beyond research and prototype contracts to producing weapons at scale

The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, DC, US, March 3, 2022.

Hegseth says he would have ordered second strike on Caribbean vessel

"I fully support that strike," Hegseth said at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. "I would have made the same call myself."

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, US, December 6, 2025.