Hegseth goes quiet on Iran as Trump pursues diplomacy
Source: The Hill
07/05/26 12:01 PM ET
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was the Trump administration’s frontman for waging war on Iran during weeks of kinetic operations aimed at decimating its nuclear threat. Since President Trump signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran to end the war, without securing significant concessions on its missile or nuclear stockpiles, Hegseth has said little about the shift in strategy — as Vice President Vance takes the spotlight in defending the tenuous diplomacy.
The public positioning of the top Trump advisers reflects reporting on their private counsel to the commander-in-chief, with Trump saying in March that Hegseth was “the first one to speak” up in support of military operations against Iran. Vance, Trump has said, was notably less enthusiastic about the war.
Anthony Constantini, policy director at the Bull Moose Project, a conservative advocacy group, said Hegseth was the “bad cop” during the active operations against Iran and now Vance is playing the role of “good cop.” “Hegseth’s job” is to present Trump with military options against Tehran, Constantini told The Hill, adding it would be “odd” if the Pentagon chief were “constantly talking” about the agreement. “He is not the guy who is leading the negotiations,” he said.
But Yvonne Chiu, a professor of strategy and policy at the U.S. Naval War College, said Hegseth should be engaged in discussing the deal and corresponding military strategy to maintain stability in the region.
Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5953404-hegseth-trump-iran-war-quiet/
We blew our wad. We don't have enough to engage in any extended combat.
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