Latest Pete Hegseth News & Updates

Singapore, May 30 (IANS) US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday called for finding a “balance” in the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea in a way that respects the roles the US military has played for decades.Hegseth made the remarks at a defence forum in Singapore amid growing concerns over what appear to be differing views between Seoul and Washington over when and how the transition should proceed, Yonhap news agency reported.”I think we have to find the bal…

Singapore, May 30 (IANS) US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday called for finding a “balance” in the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea in a way that respects the roles the US military has played for decades.Hegseth made the remarks at a defence forum in Singapore amid growing concerns over what appears to be differing views between Seoul and Washington over when and how the transition should proceed.”I think we have to find the balance of where our military p…

Washington, May 27 (IANS) President Donald Trump on Wednesday ruled out any arrangement that would allow Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz, insisting the strategic waterway would remain open to all nations even as his administration continued negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear programme. “The Strait is going to be open to everybody,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. “Nobody’s going to control it. It’s international waters.”Trump said Iran had sought c…

Washington, May 27 (IANS) President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Iran was making progress in negotiations with the United States but warned military action remained an option, as concerns mounted over oil prices and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump said the administration’s central objective remained preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “I’m doing that for the …

Washington, May 27 (IANS) President Donald Trump on Wednesday described Venezuela as an emerging strategic partner of the United States, saying the South American nation was rapidly becoming a major energy supplier to America after years of strained relations and sanctions. Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump said Venezuela’s oil industry was now being “professionalised for the first time ever” and claimed the country’s revenues were being protected from corruptio…

Washington, May 27 (IANS) President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States had reset its relationship with China and strengthened its position in the Indo-Pacific through military expansion, trade pressure, and renewed energy dominance. Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump said his recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping had gone “amazingly” and claimed Beijing now viewed Washington differently than during previous administrations.“The relationship…

Washington, May 22 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said his administration will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland.”Based on the successful Election of the now President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who I was proud to Endorse, and our relationship with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, without providing further details.The remarks came one week after the Pentagon abruptly delayed a planne…

Washington, May 19 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said that he postponed a planned military strike on Iran after urgent appeals from Gulf leaders seeking more time for diplomacy, signalling a possible opening in high-stakes negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.At a White House healthcare event, Trump said the United States had been prepared to launch a “very major attack” on Iran as early as Tuesday, but he agreed to delay military action following requests from leaders in Saudi …

Washington, May 16 (IANS) The Pentagon has scrapped plans to temporarily deploy more than 4,000 US-based troops to Poland, multiple US media outlets reported, citing US officials.The head of the US European Command “received the instructions on the force reduction,” said Christopher LaNeve, acting US Army chief of staff, at a congressional hearing on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.”I’ve worked with him in close consultation on what that force unit would be, and it … made the most sense fo…

Seoul, May 15 (IANS) A 4,400-tonne South Korean destroyer departed from a naval base in the southeastern city of Busan on Friday for rotational deployment in an overseas mission based off the Somali coast, the Navy said.The ROKS Wang Geon destroyer departed from Busan, about 330 kilometres southeast of Seoul, to serve in the Cheonghae unit, which is currently on an anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast, Yonhap news agency reported.The Cheonghae unit’s current scope of oper…