Hegseth: Iran’s government killed 45,000 of their own people

The United States has ruled out any attempt at nation-building in Iran, with Washington instead focusing on limited security objectives, according to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth said: “We’re not going to entangle this into some nation-building project," Iran International reports. 

He also made strong remarks about Iran’s domestic record, stating that Iran’s government “killed 45,000 of their own people, innocent civilians.”

Hegseth emphasised that US policy remains narrowly defined, with priorities centred on national security concerns and preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

By Sabina Mammadli