Trump publicly tells Hegseth he was ‘the first’ to push for Iran war: 'You said, let’s do it'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump suggested that the war with Iran was his defense chief's idea.

Speaking on Monday, March 23, Trump said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was “the first” in his administration to push for military intervention in the Middle Eastern nation.

The U.S. and Israel have been striking Iran since February 28, with the administration rolling out a list of reasons for the campaign. The alleged nuclear threat has topped that list.

Thirteen American service members have died since the fighting began, along with more than 1,300 Iranians. Tehran responded by shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, squeezing global oil supply and sending prices climbing. Trump issued a blunt ultimatum to reopen it or risk having the country’s power plants bombed.

On Monday, there was a partial pause in strikes and talk of negotiations. Trump said discussions were underway, but Iranian officials denied that any such talks were happening.

Trump says Hegseth was 'the first one to speak up'

At a crime task force roundtable in Memphis, Trump veered off script and singled out Hegseth.

“I called a lot of our great people,” Trump said. “We have 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 close to a nuclear weapon. We can keep going and get that 50,000 up to 55 and 60. There's no end," Trump explained. "Or we can take a stop and make a little journey into the Middle East and eliminate a big problem.”

Then, with Hegseth sitting right there, Trump dropped an eyebrow-raising comment.

“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.' So, we are now having really good discussions," the President said.

He suggested that diplomacy might still be in play.

“They started last night, uh, little bit the night before that. And uh, I think they’re, you know, I think they’re very good. They want peace to– they’ve agreed they will not have a nuclear weapon, you know etc., etc., but we’ll see. You have to get it done. But I would say there’s a very good chance,” he added.

Trump's claims in Tennessee, Iran's denial

Trump also made sure to praise Israel, calling it “a great partner in this fight.”

The remarks in Tennessee came during what was supposed to be a roundtable intended to review and “highlight the work and achievements of the Memphis Safe Task Force as it nears its six-month milestone in the region.”

The task force is a joint effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement and has racked up 7,240 arrests and seized 1,188 firearms since launching in September 2025, according to the White House.

But at some point, the President diverted his attention to the overseas conflict.

Speaking again about Iran, Trump said his administration has been negotiating “for a long time,” and suggested a deal could be within reach. However, he didn’t specify who exactly was handling the talks.

“They want peace,” Trump said. “They’ve agreed they will not have a nuclear weapon, you know, et cetera, et cetera, but we’ll see.”

Senior Iranian officials, however, reportedly insist there have been no negotiations with the United States at all.