Report: Protracted War With Iran Exposed Rift Between Trump And Hegseth

NEW YORK (VINnews)  — The war with Iran has reportedly exposed tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, amid the president’s frustration with the pace of the campaign and Hegseth’s push for a more aggressive approach toward Tehran. The claims were reported on Wednesday by CBS News in an article examining U.S. military options regarding Cuba, which it said are currently limited because of America’s focus on the war with Iran.

Last month, it was reported that Trump was considering dismissing several senior administration officials who had opposed an agreement with Iran, including Hegseth. According to that report, although Trump has publicly praised Hegseth on multiple occasions, he has privately expressed frustration with the pace of the military campaign. Sources said the president believes the administration missed an opportunity to prevent a prolonged war earlier this year when it rejected an Iranian proposal involving concessions on its nuclear program.

Two U.S. officials told CBS that Hegseth advocated for a more aggressive military strategy toward Iran despite reservations voiced by Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. According to the officials, Trump’s dissatisfaction grew as the conflict dragged on and became more complicated than expected after the war broke out in February. Throughout the campaign, they said, Trump became increasingly impatient with both Hegseth and Caine whenever they presented him with the limitations of U.S. military capabilities.

One source also said Pentagon officials had expressed frustration with Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), accusing him of promising more than the U.S. military was capable of delivering against Iran.

The White House denied any rift. In a statement, it said President Trump is “especially proud” of the leadership shown by Hegseth and Cooper. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the two had successfully led Operation Epic Rage, which she claimed “completely destroyed Iran’s ballistic missiles, production facilities, navy, air defense systems, and more.” She added that the recent U.S. strikes demonstrate that “the United States can strike anywhere, at any time, and Iran can do nothing about it.”

Acting Pentagon spokesman Joel Valdez declined to comment on what he described as “hypothetical military operations” and said the Defense Department would also not comment on Hegseth’s private conversations with President Trump.