U.S President Donald Trump suggested Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was the first to advocate military intervention against Iran, telling a Tennessee roundtable: “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.’”

U.S President Donald Trump suggested Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was the first to advocate military intervention against Iran, telling a Tennessee roundtable: “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.’”

The Iran war enters its fourth week with conflicting administration accounts about decision-making.

Some officials claim Israel was preparing to strike regardless, while others cite Iran’s nuclear threat.

Trump said Iran’s retaliatory strikes were unexpected, contradicting reports that internal warnings were issued but ignored.

The conflict has killed 13 American service members and caused a regional crisis.

Trump extended his Monday deadline for Iran by five days, with uncertainty about how the war began and who ultimately decided to start it.

The war began with US strikes in late February and expanded across the region, with over 1,500 killed in Iran, 1,000 in Lebanon, 15 in Israel, and 13 US personnel.