US not ‘pulled into’ Iran war by Israel – Hegseth (VIDEO)

President Donald Trump was not “pulled in” to the war on Iran by Israel, but chose to attack the Islamic Republic based on his ‘America First’ policy, War Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed in a Pentagon press briefing on Tuesday.

During the event, the war secretary was asked whether Washington was risking “getting roped back into a war” by Israel, as “the Israelis are explicitly stating their intent to continue fighting at a later date.”

Hegseth argued that the core idea that Trump was “pulled into” the Iran war by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a “false premise.”

“Just to be clear, President Trump has led at every step of this based on his view of American interests and ‘America First,’” he said, adding that Washington was “grateful” to have Israel as an ally.

However, he admitted that “they may have some objectives at times that are slightly different than ours.”

Despite recent fire exchanges between US and Iranian forces, “the ceasefire is not over,” the Pentagon chief added.

Israel has continued to bomb southern Lebanon in violation of the armistice, despite Trump directly prohibiting it from doing so since mid-April.

West Jerusalem has claimed that it is only targeting Hezbollah during its invasion of its southern neighbor, however reports have emerged alleging systematic destruction of entire villages and rampant looting of civilian property by the IDF. Since March 2, Israeli attacks have killed at least 2,702 people and wounded more than 8,000, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported on Tuesday.

Despite the ongoing ceasefire, an apparent fire exchange took place on Monday, as CENTCOM forces reportedly attempted to push through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran considers Washington’s naval blockade of Iranian ports a breach of the ceasefire terms.

“The status quo is intolerable for America; while we have not even begun yet,” Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday.