Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warns Iran to “choose wisely” in negotiations with the U.S. and shares an extended metaphor comparing “unpatriotic” reporters to the Pharisees and scribes who opposed Jesus Christ. “Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what side some of you are actually on. It’s incredibly unpatriotic,” he said. “It’s almost like you’re cheering only for one side.” “This past Sunday, I was sitting in church with my family, and our minister preached from the Book of Mark, the third chapter. In that passage, Jesus entered a synagogue and healed a man with a withered hand,” Hegseth said. “The Pharisees came to watch. They came to see whether He-Jesus-would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.” “Even though they witnessed a literal miracle, it didn’t matter. They were only there to explain away the goodness in pursuit of their agenda,” said Hegseth. “I sat there in church, and I thought: our press are just like these Pharisees.” “Not all of you. Not all of you. But the legacy, Trump-hating press-your politically motivated animus for President Trump nearly completely blinds you to the brilliance of our American warriors.” “The Pharisees scrutinized every good act in order to find a violation-only looking for the negative. The hardened hearts of our press are calibrated only to impugn.” “I would ask you to open your eyes to the goodness-the historic success of our troops, the courage of this president, and this historic moment for a deal that could end the Iranian nuclear threat,” he said. “The incredible battlefield victory laid before your eyes. Not one, but two incredible rescue missions-miracles, you might say.” “And to Iran: choose wisely,” he added. “In the meantime, the War Department is locked and loaded.” <\/p>\n
U.S. SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and our partners at Treasury are launching Operation Economic Fury, maximizing economic pressure across the entirety of the government on Iran. Choose wisely. The world watched-and so did you-as the U.S. military moved seamlessly from major combat operations to a world-class blockade. We can make that transition again very quickly, and even more powerfully than ever, at the direction of President Trump. The War Department will ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon. Never. We’d prefer to do it the nice way, through a deal led by our great vice president and negotiating team-or we can do it the hard way. We urge this new regime to choose wisely. Speaking of choosing wisely, a note to the press-to the press corps, to the American media. I can’t help but notice the endless stream of garbage, the relentlessly negative coverage you cannot resist peddling, despite the historic and important success of this effort and the success of our troops. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what side some of you are actually on. It’s incredibly unpatriotic. This same press corps-not this exact same press corps, but at least an older press corps-bent over backwards during the Biden administration to explain away the disastrous and disgraceful Afghanistan withdrawal. You called it the greatest airlift in American history. It’s almost like you’re cheering only for one side. This past Sunday, I was sitting in church with my family, and our minister preached from the Book of Mark, the third chapter. In that passage, Jesus entered a synagogue and healed a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees came to watch. As the scripture reads, they came to see whether He-Jesus-would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. You see, the Pharisees-the so-called and self-appointed elites of their time-were there to witness, to write everything down, to report. But their hearts were hardened. Even though they witnessed a literal miracle, it didn’t matter. They were only there to explain away the goodness in pursuit of their agenda. As the passage ends, the Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel against Him-how to destroy Him. I sat there in church and I thought: our press are just like these Pharisees. Not all of you. Not all of you. But the legacy, Trump-hating press-your politically motivated animus for President Trump nearly completely blinds you to the brilliance of our American warriors. The Pharisees scrutinized every good act in order to find a violation-only looking for the negative. The hardened hearts of our press are calibrated only to impugn. I would ask you to open your eyes to the goodness-the historic success of our troops, the courage of this president, and this historic moment for a deal that could end the Iranian nuclear threat. The incredible battlefield victory laid before your eyes. Not one, but two incredible rescue missions-miracles, you might say. A locked-in blockade. Or how about historic recruiting numbers? Yesterday, we announced that the Air Force and the Space Force met new, higher goals in FY26-five months in advance of the end of the fiscal year. The Marine Corps and the Army will soon do the same. Twenty-three years ago, we couldn’t meet lower recruiting numbers-not even close. Where are the reports on that? Where’s the coverage of the new spirit in the country, the new spirit in the ranks-the surge of Americans wanting to join the greatest military in the world? Nothing from the fake news. We sense a pattern. On the battlefield, these are demonstrations of uniquely American capabilities-strength and resolve. It’s all around you each and every day. But in the press, you only seek the negative, earning each and every day the fake news label. But the American people, with goodness in their hearts, see past the Pharisees in our press. They see the goodness. You watching-you see the goodness. They see the success. They see the reality. And they don’t demand perfection-and perfection is not possible on any battlefield-but they see the incredible feats our troops accomplish every single day. So to those troops: stay focused. Block out the noise. Stay aggressive. You are showing the world what it means to be an American warrior. You are making this building and the American people proud. We pray for you every day, and we have your back in every way. And to Iran: choose wisely. I pray you choose a deal, which is within your grasp, for the betterment of your people and for the betterment of the world. In the meantime, the War Department is locked and loaded. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n