Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Thursday that the genocidal Iranian regime cannot rebuild its military and futile attempts to do so will meet a decisive American response.
Obviously, American and Israeli forces have taken out many Iranian leaders and destroyed a great deal of their naval and military resources, but our decades-long conflict with Iran is not over for all that. The problem is the same regime still rules Iran, which has massacred its own people and spread jihad around the world for half a century. But the American military is ready for the next phase.
Hegseth announced he wanted to “send a message to Iran's military leadership,” especially the terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) leadership. “Our capabilities are not the same, our military and yours. Remember, this is not a fair fight, and we know what military assets you are moving and where you are moving to,” the secretary of war stated.
Referring to how many Iranian facilities are buried in rubble, Hegseth warned, “While you are digging out, which is exactly what you’re doing, digging out bombed out, devastated facilities, we are only getting stronger. You are digging out your remaining launchers and missiles with no ability to replace them.”
BREAKING: Sec. Hegseth gives scathing message to Iran's military leadership:
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 16, 2026
"We're watching you. Our capabilities are not the same, our military and yours. Remember, this is not a fair fight and we know what military assets you are moving and where you are moving them to."… pic.twitter.com/VvXQwYKXRj
Hegseth boasted, “You [Iran] have no defense industry, no ability to replenish your offensive or defensive capabilities. You only have what you have, you know that, we know that. You can move things around, but you can't actually rebuild.” The Iranian regime received many of its weapons and equipment from the equally genocidal Chinese Communist government, and China has not officially confirmed Donald Trump’s claim that it would no longer supply resources to Iran.
Addressing also the continuing unstable situation in the economically critical Strait of Hormuz, where the Iranian regime scattered countless mines and refuses to disable them, Hegseth criticized the European and Asian nations that have much more of a reliance on the waterway than the United States yet expect the United States to do everything. “And so their ability to muster a collective defense or clearing of the strait would be a wonderful thing and we hear and see the talk about it. But when shots were fired… they weren't there.”
Our supposed allies even “weren't alongside us, their leaders weren't rallying what…they have of their navies. If they decide after [U.S.] CENTCOM does the heavy lifting, again, which they should be able to do, we should live in a world where other countries can defend waterways, not just the United States,” but if the USA can clear all of the mines, “then we would welcome other countries coming in after the fact, but can't live in a world in perpetuity — and this is a message to the rest of the world, and our allies, — where you just rely on America to continually do the heavy lifting. ‘Oh, Iran might get a nuclear bomb, who can do something about that? America,’” Hegseth ended.
The regime will certainly try to rebuild, no matter the warnings, just as it violated its ceasefire agreement with the U.S. within two hours of its official announcement. The Iranian regime massacred 40,000 of its own Persian people and arrested up to 50,000 more during freedom protests earlier this year. Just a few days ago, Iranian judiciary head Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i called to expedite executions of protestors.
“It seems to me that we should issue many more sentences,” Eje’i said. “Both regarding the confiscation of property and the issuance of death sentences, really expedite them, for those who can be sentenced — as you mentioned — there's no need to call it an 'escalation.' The law allows you to do this. Issue those sentences as well, and announce them too." Notice that he is fine with escalating the crackdown; he just doesn't want to call it that.
The unfortunate reality is that you can never trust Islamic terrorists, who believe they will receive eternity in paradise for attacking you.
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