'We will finish this': Hegseth issues chilling 9/11 warning to an enemy

WASHINGTON, DC: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to “finish this fight” against Iran during a 9/11 speech as military leaders warn the prolonged war is straining US forces.

Hegseth described Iran as a longtime state sponsor of t******m and said the US was ensuring Tehran would never obtain a nuclear weapon.

He spoke at the Pentagon on Friday, September 11, alongside President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump during the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

Pete Hegseth vows to finish this fight

Hegseth used his remarks to connect the 9/11 anniversary with the ongoing conflict, saying the US had spent the past six months attacking Iran's military capabilities.

“The United States has killed their leaders, destroyed their air force, and their navy rests at the bottom of the sea,” Hegseth said. “Their defenses are gone.”

He also said the US was continuing operations against t********s and claimed American forces controlled the Strait of Hormuz, a major point of contention in the conflict.

“We are ensuring that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” Hegseth said. “The economic pressure tightens every day. We control the Strait. We will finish this fight.”

Hegseth framed the campaign as part of a broader struggle against what he called persistent enemies of the United States. He said some military personnel serving today were not alive when the September 11 attacks occurred.

“There are still enemies who hate us,” Hegseth said, adding that enemies were plotting against the US “including from Islamic t********s abroad and at home.”

Military leaders warn of strain

The remarks came as a Pentagon assessment reportedly warned Hegseth that maintaining the current level of operations against Iran could leave the US less able to respond to threats elsewhere and protect the homeland.

The warning appeared in the Secretary of Defense Orders Book, according to a report by the Washington Post. 

The document tracks the availability of US military resources around the world and includes input from senior defense officials.

Military leaders objected after the document indicated some US troops would remain in the Middle East into 2027, according to sources cited by the newspaper.

The heads of US Pacific Command, US European Command and US Southern Command responded with a “non-concur,” meaning they opposed keeping forces in the region but would carry out the order.

Commanders said ships and aircraft diverted to the Middle East had affected missions and training elsewhere.

Leaders overseeing Latin America and Europe warned that the deployments “have degraded their ability to fulfill homeland-defense obligations.”

The Chief of Naval Operations also wrote that about one-quarter of the destroyer fleet was currently prepared to deploy and warned continued fighting could jeopardize the fleet's ability to respond to other conflicts.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell disputed the reporting, calling it “fake news, poorly sourced reporting” that was “full of inaccuracies.”

Trump sees war lasting past election

Trump has separately said he does not expect the conflict to end until after the November midterm elections, even as he argues the fighting is necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

“I think the war's going to end immediately after the election because they can't hold out any longer,” Trump said Wednesday.

He later told reporters, “Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward,” while adding that he thought it would take “a little bit longer than the midterm.”

The conflict has also carried a substantial military cost. 

Hegseth told Congress last month that the war had cost $37.5 billion and said another $67 billion was needed.

The Pentagon has also acknowledged the high cost of the campaign, while CBS News reported that the US military had expended nearly all of its stockpiled long-range precision missiles.