Le détroit d’Ormuz « est plus leur combat que le nôtre » : Pete Hegseth critique les Européens et les somme de « se mettre à l’eau »

LE FIGARO : Lors d’une conférence de presse, le secrétaire à la Défense américain s’en est pris aux pays européens qui profitent gratuitement depuis des décennies, selon lui, de la protection des États-Unis.

Le chef du Pentagone s’en prend une nouvelle fois aux Européens. Lors d’une conférence de presse à Arlington (Virginie) ce vendredi 24 avril, Pete Hegseth a fait un point sur le conflit en Iran et le blocus du détroit d’Ormuz. Par la même occasion, il a chargé les pays européens qui profitent gratuitement, selon lui, de la «protection» des États-Unis. « L’Europe et l’Asie bénéficient depuis des décennies de notre protection. Mais ce temps est révolu », a-t-il lancé.

« Les États-Unis et le monde libre méritent des alliés loyaux, et être un allié ce n’est pas à sens unique. Nous, nous ne comptons pas sur l’Europe mais eux ont bien plus besoin du détroit d’Ormuz que nous », a-t-il affirmé. Avant de tacler les Européens de nouveau : « Ils feraient bien de parler un peu moins, d’organiser moins de conférences prestigieuses et plutôt de se mettre au travail et se mettre à l’eau. » Et d’insister : « C’est plus leur combat que le nôtre. » » | Par Clara Hidalgo | vendredi 24 avril 2026

Steve Schmidt: Donald Trump Has Made America Sick Again

Apr 23, 2026 | RFK Jr. has slithered under the radar while decimating America's public health system, but no longer. Steve Schmidt exposes how Trump and RFK Jr. are making Americans sick as MAGA and MAHA go to war.

The Messianic Maniac Pushing for Holy War in Iran

Apr 22, 2026 | Radical Muslims. Messianic mullahs. Religious nutjobs.

Sound familiar?

That’s how the Trump administration has described the rulers of Iran over the last few months in an effort to justify starting an illegal war that has now destabilized the entire Middle East.

But, as Mehdi points out, it’s not the Iranians who are pushing for a holy war in the Middle East — it’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, covered in crusader and Islamophobic tattoos, who has repeatedly called on Jesus Christ himself to help US forces unleash “overwhelming violence” on Iranians and deliver their souls to “eternal damnation.”

Mehdi takes a deep-dive into Hegseth’s open Christian nationalism and messianic militaristic agenda, and reframes the narrative of who actually wants a holy war in the Holy Land.

Steve Schmidt: Trump Will Regret Launching This War

Apr 21, 2026 | Donald Trump promised over and over the war would end. Steve Schmidt warns of the growing toll and promises the Trump regime will be buried by their shame.

Americans elected FOOLS to lead them. America is finished. Any so-called leader who wages an illegal war deserves to lose it. — © Mark Alexander

Why Is Donald Trump Picking a Fight with the Pope?

Here’s your answer.

Hegseth Faces Impeachment Pressure Over Iran Rhetoric | Anita Powell

Apr 16, 2026 | “We’ll see how that proceeds on Capitol Hill.”

Hegseth’s “posturing” and return to “controversial threats” towards Iran are exactly what have “led to articles of impeachment”, says US reporter Anita Powell.

Hegseth droht mit Bomben auf Stromversorgung des Iran

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Der Krieg in Nahost könnte bald fortgesetzt werden. Pete Hegseth will die zivile Infrastruktur des Iran bombardieren. Israel zerstört Dörfer im Südlibanon.

Der amerikanische Verteidigungsminister Pete Hegseth hat am Donnerstag mit neuen US-Angriffen auf Irans Energieinfrastruktur gedroht, falls dessen Führung keinem Friedensabkommen zustimmt. Auf einer Pressekonferenz im Pentagon forderte Hegseth, der sich selbst „Kriegsminister“ nennt, am Donnerstag Irans Führung auf, „weise zu entscheiden“. Er sagte, eine amerikanische Seeblockade iranischer Häfen werde „so lange wie nötig“ fortgesetzt. „Wenn Iran sich falsch entscheidet“, sagte Hegseth am Donnerstag, „dann wird es eine Blockade und Bomben geben, die auf Infrastruktur, Stromversorgung und Energie niedergehen.“ Nach internationalem Recht könnte das gezielte Angreifen ziviler Infrastruktur im Iran ein Kriegsverbrechen darstellen. Laut der UN-Charta ist bereits die Androhung von Kriegsverbrechen ein solches. Präsident Donald Trump hatte an Ostern angekündigt, die US-Regierung werde die gesamte Zivilisation des Iran auslöschen, sollte die iranische Führung nicht umgehend den amerikanischen Aufforderungen Folge leisten. » | Michael Maier | Donnerstag, 16. April 2026

Hegseth Says U.S. Is Poised to Resume Combat if Talks Fail

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Iran’s leaders to “choose wisely” and threatened more attacks. The war’s mounting economic toll has put political pressure on President Trump to find an off-ramp.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday threatened U.S. attacks on Iran’s power plants and other energy sites if its leaders did not agree to a peace deal, less than a week before a temporary cease-fire is set to expire.

Speaking at a news conference at the Pentagon, Mr. Hegseth repeatedly urged Iran’s leaders to “choose wisely” and said an American naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue “as long as it takes.” The Trump administration has alternated between assuring Americans that a peace deal was within reach and threatening Iran’s leadership if it does not comply, as the war’s economic toll has put President Trump under increasing political pressure at home.

“If Iran chooses poorly, then they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power, and energy,” Mr. Hegseth said. Under international law, intentionally targeting Iran’s civilian infrastructure could constitute a war crime.

Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the news conference that U.S. Navy forces in the Pacific could be ordered to intercept ships trying to resupply Iran, which would broaden the naval blockade beyond the Middle East.

Iran threatened on Wednesday to halt all trade in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea in response to the blockade. It was unclear how much control Iran could exert over shipping in the region. Its battered armed forces can still use mines and fast boats to harass ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Its allies in Yemen, the Houthi militia, have also shown they can attack shipping in the Red Sea. Iran War Live Updates » | Eric Schmitt, John Ismay, Elian Peltier and Aurelien Breeden | Thursday, April 16, 2026

Pete Hegseth Is a Disaster of a Defense Secretary. It’s No Surprise

THE GUARDIAN: The former Fox host has misled the public, prayed for violence and clashed with the press. This is not a serious military leader

With his jawline firm and his hair coiffed, Pete Hegseth was a good fit as a Fox News personality.

As the defense secretary – or secretary of war, as his boss, Donald Trump would have it – he’s disastrous.

His most consequential test, America’s misguided war with Iran, has proven that beyond legitimate argument.

But for those who watched him for years as a rightwing cable news figure, it’s not exactly surprising.

“Hegseth’s distinguishing characteristic on Fox was his fervent support for American service members who had been accused of war crimes,” recalled Matt Gertz, senior fellow at Media Matters, whose job it is to track the relationship between rightwing media and the Trump-led Maga world.

Trump, who watches Fox as if it’s his primary job, liked what he saw in Hegseth. And so, what Gertz calls “a B-level demogogue” jumped from co-host of the weekend Fox & Friends talkshow to the person sixth in line for the US presidency. » | Margaret Sullivan | Friday,April 10, 2026

Steve Schmidt: Trump Misplayed the War in Iran. Melania Lied about Epstein.

Apr 10, 2026 | Donald Trump handed the Strait of Hormuz to Iran as a toll road, while Melania Trump held a press conference to deny her ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Steve Schmidt exposes the First Family of Frauds and their delusions.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t Melania an illegal immigrant? Didn’t she work in America before obtaining her proper papers? — © Mark Alexander

Trump's America Is Now a Rogue Power | Bill Kristol

Apr 8, 2026 | “This is a terrible development for the international order, of which [the US] has been a key component.”

America is “not much more responsible” than China or Russia, says Republican and Trump critic Bill Kristol.

US Secretary of War Gives Official Update Following Iran War Two-week Ceasefire Announcement

Apr 8, 2026 | Iran, the United States and Israel have agreed to a two-week ceasefire. The 11th-hour deal headed off U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to unleash a bombing campaign that would destroy Iranian civilization. But hours after the announcement, Iran and Gulf Arab countries reported new attacks Wednesday. It was not clear if the strikes would scuttle the deal.

Even before the new attacks, much about the agreement was unclear as the sides presented vastly different visions of the terms. Iran said the deal would allow it to formalize its new practice of charging ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial transit lane for oil, but the terms were not clear, nor was whether ships would feel safe using it. It also was unclear whether any other country agreed to this condition.

Pakistan, which helped to mediate the deal, and others, said fighting would pause in Lebanon, where Israel has launched a ground invasion against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. Israel said it would not, and strikes hit Beirut on Wednesday.


MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS updates here.

This OBJECTIONABLE dude is FULL of BULL! His brags are quite sickening; his propaganda is transparent. Even Goebbels could have learnt a thing or two about bullshitting from this guy! — © Mark Alexander

Hegseth Likens Easter Rescue of U.S. Airman to Resurrection of Jesus Christ

THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Trump also asserted that God supports the American war against Iran “because God is good, and God wants to see people taken care of.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday likened the rescue on Easter Sunday of a missing American airman shot down over Iran to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Minutes later, speaking at the same news conference describing the military operation, President Trump asserted that God supports the Israeli-U.S. war against Iran, which has killed thousands, including many civilians. “Because God is good,” he said, “and God wants to see people taken care of.”

Mr. Trump continued: “God doesn’t like what’s happening. I don’t like what’s happening. Everyone says I enjoy it. I don’t enjoy this.”

“I don’t like seeing people get killed,” he said.

In his account of the rescue operation, Mr. Hegseth drew parallels between the airman’s ordeal and the account of Christ’s death and Resurrection given in the Bible.

The F-15E fighter jet, he noted, was “shot down on a Friday — Good Friday.” That is the day Jesus was crucified.

After the airman bailed out over Iran, he hid, Mr. Hegseth said, “in a cave, a crevice, all of Saturday,” reminiscent of the tomb cut into a rock in which Jesus was buried.

Then, he said, the airman was rescued on the day Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus — “flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday.”
,br /> “A pilot reborn, all home and accounted for, a nation rejoicing,” the defense secretary said. “God is good.” » | Chris Cameron | Reporting from Washington | Monday, April 6, 2026

One is SPEECHLESS! — © Mark Alexander

Hegseth Says U.S. Troops Are Fighting for Jesus. The Pope Disagrees.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: In sharp contrast to the Trump administration’s calls for Christian prayers for the war effort, Pope Leo XIV says military domination is “entirely foreign to the way of Jesus Christ.”

Pete Hegseth, the U.S. defense secretary, has asked the American people to pray “every day, on bended knee” for a military victory in the Middle East “in the name of Jesus Christ.”

Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pontiff, has a starkly different take on what should be done in Jesus’s name.

In a homily during a Mass on Thursday morning before Easter, the pope said that the Christian mission has often been “distorted by a desire for domination, entirely foreign to the way of Jesus Christ.”

Since the United States and Israel began bombing Iran in late February, the pope has consistently called for an end to the violence and a return to dialogue to resolve the conflict. But without naming Mr. Hegseth, he has also pointed out the ways in which Christianity has been marshaled for purposes that the pope says do not align with Catholic teaching.

“We tend to consider ourselves powerful when we dominate, victorious when we destroy our equals, great when we are feared,” the pope said in a homily during a Holy Thursday rite at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the bishop of Rome. “God has given us an example — not of how to dominate, but of how to liberate; not of how to destroy life, but of how to give it.”

In late March the pope warned against invoking the name of Jesus for battle, saying in a Sunday homily that Jesus “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.” » | Motoko Rich | Reporting from Rome | Friday, April 3, 2026

Pete Hegseth seems to be off his trolley. Perhaps he is punch-drunk. Or, perhaps, just drunk! — © Mark Alexander

Pete Hegseth Delivers Violent Sermon at Pentagon Church Service

Mar 26, 2026 | Jesse talks about Pete Hegseth's alarming sermon delivered at the Pentagon during an unconstitutional worship service. Hegseth said, "First, a reading from the book of Psalms, chapter 18, verses 37 to 42. …

TW: Extremely strong language alert! Beware!

Hegseth Invokes Divine Purpose to Justify Military Might

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has imbued U.S. military actions with a Christian moral underpinning that suggests they are divinely sanctioned.

He spoke of “overwhelming force” and the U.S. military’s unmatched ability to rain “death and destruction from above” on its “apocalyptic” Iranian foes.

Then, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, standing in the Pentagon, issued a call to the American people for a specific kind of wartime prayer. He asked them to pray for victory in battle and the safety of their troops.

“Every day, on bended knee, with your family, in your schools, in your churches,” he said, “in the name of Jesus Christ.”

At a time when the U.S. and Israeli militaries are dropping thousands of bombs on a majority-Shiite Muslim nation, the explicitly Christian nature of Mr. Hegseth’s call stood out.

More than any top American military leader in recent history, Mr. Hegseth has framed U.S. military operations in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America as bigger than politics or foreign policy. Often he has imbued these actions with a Christian moral underpinning that suggests they are divinely sanctioned.

It is this view of a higher power, married to lethal American firepower, that Mr. Hegseth says gives him confidence that the United States will prevail in Iran.

“Our capabilities are better. Our will is better. Our troops are better,” he said in a recent interview with CBS News’s “60 Minutes.” “The providence of our almighty God is there protecting those troops, and we’re committed to this mission.” » | Greg Jaffe and Elizabeth Dias | Greg Jaffe writes about the expansion of the U.S. military under President Trump. Elizabeth Dias reports on the rise of a new Christian right in the Trump era. | Friday, March 20, 2026 | Friday, March 20, 2026

What Hegseth and the Trump regime are doing is unbelievably dangerous! By invoking divine purpose, they are turning this military misadventure into a holy war! Jesus Christ Almighty! How stupid is this? This will have grave consequences for the whole world. Where is this all going to end? How many innocent people will be killed as a result of this extremely dangerous nonsense? How many lives will be ruined? How much heartache, pain, and misery will be caused by this stupidity? — © Mark Alexander

Steve Schmidt: Trump Has No Way Out

Mar 16, 2026 | Trump started a war with Iran with no plan and is now begging the allies he spent a year alienating to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. Steve Schmidt breaks down the complete incompetence and lose-lose scenario the Trump regime has created.

Watch and listen to those muppets cheering on their know-nothing leader! It really is unbelievable just how stupid many Americans are. — © Mark Alexander

Pete Hegseth Admits Trump Ally Is Buying CNN to Turn It into MAGA Propaganda

March 13, 2026

Hegseth's Pastor Demands Catholics & Muslims Be Ruled by His Church

Mar 13, 2026 | Jesse discusses three un-American statements delivered by Pete Hegseth's pastor, Douglas Wilson, who is gaining power and influence within Donald Trump's government. He recently told a catholic that when his church is in control, Catholic parades will be illegal. He also says Muslims and Hindus won't be able to immigrate to the United States, and women citizens won't be able to vote.

I’m fast coming to the conclusion that America is a nation of kooks! — © Mark Alexander

Steve Schmidt: This Is How Trump Will End America

Mar 9, 2026 | Trump started a war with no plan, no exit, and to distract Americans from his failing presidency. Steve Schmidt warns that the draft is coming and our children will pay for Trump's decisions.