President Donald Trump bragged that if Iran does not give the U.S. what it wants amid negotiations for a potential agreement to end hostilities, then Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is going to "finish 'em off."
Trump made the remark during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday after a reporter asked him to describe where the talks with Iran are at in football terms, asking him, "What yard line would you be on?" Opting to skip the football analogies, the president responded, "They are starting to give us the things that they have to give us, and if they do, that's great. And if they won't, then the man on my left is gonna finish 'em off."
Trump was referring to Hegseth, who was seated on his left. "Is there a time frame in your mind?" the reporter followed up. Noting that it "happens quickly," Trump said, "The problem is, every time I mention a time frame — for instance … we've been doing this for a few months. Vietnam lasted 19 years. Korea lasted eight years. Afghanistan lasted many years. They were all many, many years. And we're into it for a few months."
Trump then referenced the American troops who were killed during Operation Epic Fury in Iran and across the broader Middle East. "We lost 13 souls, 13 great people. [I] met the parents, great people. It's a terrible thing, but 13. If you look at the war casualties and the deaths and wars for Vietnam and all that, they lost hundreds of thousands of people in numerous of these wars."
Trump added, "We're very cognizant of that. We want to lose very few, we want very few to be injured. We're very careful, but war is war. War is dangerous."
Elsewhere in the meeting, the president said that he is "not satisfied" yet with the terms of the deal being negotiated with Iran. Claiming that Tehran is "very much intent" on reaching an agreement to end the conflict, he added, "So far, they haven't gotten there."
