US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that the United States will support allies who strengthen their defenses but will impose sanctions on those partners who do not, adopting a tough tone during his testimony before Congress on Wednesday.
"Model allies who will take action, such as Israel, South Korea, Poland, Finland, the Baltic states and others, will have our special support," Hegseth stressed before the House Armed Services Committee.
"Allies that do not act, those that continue to fail to meet their collective defense obligations, will face consequences," he warned.
The US secretary added that he appreciates the opportunity to testify in support of Donald Trump's request for a $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal year 2027.
"The president's budget request reflects the urgency of the moment," Hegseth declared.
He argued that the Pentagon's record budget request will maintain "the most powerful and capable military in the world as we face a complex threat environment on multiple fronts."
“We are rebuilding a military that the American people can be proud of,” he added. Defending the defense budget increase requested by the White House, Hegseth said Trump aims to restore the U.S. defense industrial base “to wartime conditions.”
Regarding Iran, he stated that "the biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this moment are the thoughtless, mistaken and defeatist statements of Democrats in Congress and some Republicans. Two months later, I remind you, just two months into a conflict. Not to mention how long we have been in Iraq, Afghanistan or Vietnam."
"Two months into an existential battle for the security of the American people: Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. We are proud of this effort," he said.
When asked by lawmakers how the White House intends to force Iran to accept a new nuclear deal, he replied that the US must "get them to the point where they sit down at the negotiating table and surrender."
He claimed that, although US and Israeli attacks have left Iranian nuclear facilities "destroyed", Iran continues to have "nuclear ambitions", as well as a "conventional shield of thousands of missiles".
The Defense Secretary also reiterated the Trump administration's new stance toward China, emphasizing that the US seeks "an approach that does not aim for dominance, but a balanced relationship."
