Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced sharp criticism after a heated interview with “60 Minutes” correspondent Major Garrett on Sunday, March 8, 2026, where the former Fox News host made provocative comments about the U.S. conflict with Iran that critics labeled “grotesque” and hazardous.
The segment, airing in Season 58, Episode 23 of the CBS newsmagazine, reviewed the conflict in its second week and addressed President Trump’s call for “unconditional surrender” from Tehran. The installment, titled “Targeting Americans; Secretary Hegseth,” sparked immediate and widespread backlash.
One heavily criticized exchange occurred when Garrett asked whether Russian support—providing Iran with intelligence on U.S. movements in the region—might put American personnel “in more danger than they otherwise would be.” Hegseth’s answer unsettled viewers and commentators.
Hegseth replied that no one was putting them in danger; rather, he said, those forces were the ones endangering others, which he framed as their role. He added that the only people who should be concerned were Iranians who expected to survive.
The remark drew strong condemnation from critics who argued it amounted to a broad threat against the Iranian population rather than targeting combatants or regime leaders. Journalist Laura Jedeed wrote on Bluesky that Hegseth singled out “not ‘terrorists,’ not ‘radicals,’ not even ‘Islamists.’ ‘Iranians.'”
The interview also probed whether Iran represented an immediate threat to the United States when President Trump launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28. The joint U.S.-Israeli strike killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in its opening action and, according to the Pentagon, has since struck more than 3,000 targets inside Iran. Hegseth seemed to dismiss skepticism about the operation’s justification.
Garrett reviewed the lead-up to the operation, noting intelligence about Khamenei’s whereabouts had been provided via Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The reporter suggested the timing indicated opportunity rather than an imminent threat.
Hegseth called such doubts “silly and academic,” pointing to what he described as 47 years of Iranian attacks on Americans since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He referenced Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 U.S. mission that targeted Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan using B-2 stealth bombers and Tomahawk missiles. Officials said the operation “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, though international monitors estimate Iran still retains over 970 pounds of near–bomb-grade uranium.
Hegseth said Iran should have capitulated earlier, recognizing the gravity of the situation and abandoning its nuclear ambitions, but it did not. He said the president sees the threat as a growing, long-term problem.
Veterans and military analysts expressed alarm at Hegseth’s tone during the interview. Former service members criticized his language as unprofessional and damaging to the military’s reputation. Opponents accused the Defense Secretary of displaying a callous disregard for human life.
The episode consisted of two parts, first covering a disputed investigation into Havana Syndrome before moving to the Hegseth interview. The show is available to stream on CBS and Paramount+.
Hegseth, 45, was confirmed as Defense Secretary on January 24, 2025, in a narrow 51-50 vote that required Vice President JD Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote—only the second time a vice president decided a Cabinet confirmation. Three Republican senators—Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Mitch McConnell—joined all Democrats in opposing his nomination amid allegations of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement, and heavy drinking.
During the interview, Hegseth discussed the operation’s scope and casualties, including nine American deaths. Human rights activists in Iran report more than 1,600 Iranians killed, including 168 people—mostly children—at a girls’ school in southern Iran hit during the campaign.
When asked whether U.S. forces were responsible for the school strike, Hegseth replied simply, “We’re still investigating.” He emphasized that “unlike our adversaries, the Iranians, we never target civilians.”
Hegseth also claimed that the Iranian Navy “is largely no more” and warned that the military campaign is far from over. “What I want your viewers to understand is this is only just the beginning,” he said. “We have more munitions than we need.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian dismissed the U.S. demand for surrender as “a dream that they should take to their grave.” Hegseth, however, insisted Iran would be forced to give in. “This is war. This is conflict. This is bringing your enemy to their knees,” he said. “Whether they will have a ceremony in Tehran Square and surrender, that’s up to them.”
As of Tuesday, March 10, neither the White House nor the Defense Department had provided additional comments to clarify or retract Hegseth’s statements. Defense officials said Tuesday would be the “most intense day” of strikes against Iran since the operation began.