Hegseth Backs Israel After Beirut Strike Despite Trump’s Criticism

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly backed Israel’s strike in Beirut, even as President Donald Trump criticized the attack and described the shooting toward Israel as minor. The article says the split exposed a deep rift at the top of the American administration, although it is not clear whether Hegseth knew Trump’s position when he spoke.

In a CBS News interview, Hegseth said Israel had been very restrained in its response and noted that it understood the United States was close to a deal. He also argued that the latest Israeli action in Beirut would not derail the American diplomatic track, saying, “From everything I know, we are on the right path. It is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when” an initial agreement will be signed.

Hegseth placed responsibility for preventing escalation on Iran and its proxies. He said, “We are aware of what is happening with Hezbollah firing rockets at northern Israel, something they need to stop doing, and Iran needs to encourage them to stop doing that in very forceful ways” so the process can continue.

He added that he did not expect the Beirut operation to disrupt the talks and insisted that if Iran wanted any agreement to hold, it would need to pull Hezbollah back. He also outlined strict terms for a future accord, including the destruction, removal or dilution of Iran’s nuclear material, plus inspections and monitoring. Hegseth ended with a warning that “we will make sure the military option is there” if the deal’s terms are violated.