Trump Reveals Pete Hegseth First to Push US Military Strike on Iran

Trump Credits Hegseth for Iran War Push

During his speech Monday at the Memphis Safe Task Force Roundtable in Tennessee, Mr. Trump said he called all his aides Mr. Hegseth and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Air Force, Gen Dan Caine, to talk about the situation in Iran before coming to any decision.
"I called Pete, I called General [Dan] Caine. I called a lot of our great people... And I said, 'Let's talk. We got a problem in the Middle East. We have a country, known as Iran, that for 47 years has been just a purveyor of terror, and they're very close to having a nuclear weapon. We can keep going and get that 50,000 up to 55 and 60, there's no end, or we can take a stop and make a little journey into the Middle East and eliminate a big problem," Trump said.

"And Pete, I think you were the first one to speak up, and you said, 'Let's do it, because you can't let them have a nuclear weapon,'" he added.
That comment sparked intense debate in Washington as officials and analysts debated who in the administration spurred the US to launch a military strike against Iran. 

Vance Hesitant as Netanyahu Push Strike

Throughout the time, reports indicated the administration debated whether or not to go on strike. President Trump accepted that Vice President JD Vance, who has long railed against foreign military operations, was not so enthusiastic about the campaign, although he has not yet publicly stated his disdain.
Other important figures, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Rupert Murdoch, were among those urging the US to go military, while some advisers urged caution.

Trump Delays Iran Energy Attack Deadline

Mr. Trump had earlier signaled that he has extended the deadline by which Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow cha nnel of shipping linking the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, and that he would wait five days to attack Iranian energy infrastructure facilities.
Without addressing the details of those conversations, the U.S. President added that productive conversations had been having between the U.S. and Iran about a complete and total resolution of the conflict in West Asia. Iran denies Trump’s claims, calling them fake news.