Hegseth says US war against Iran not ‘democracy building’

Published March 2, 2026 Updated March 2, 2026 06:28pm

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the war against Iran is not an effort to build democracy in the Islamic republic, AFP reports.

“No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise. No politically correct wars. We fight to win and we don’t waste time or lives,” Hegseth told a news conference.

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