Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday said the Trump administration was aware of the risk that Iran would attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz if it came under attack.
"Of course, the Strait of Hormuz was front and center in every aspect of that, hence why one of our objectives to begin with was to sink the entirety of Iran's navy," he said.
"So, you were completely aware that the Strait of Hormuz could be closed?" Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) asked, noting that sinking Iranian ships did not prevent Iran from closing the waterway.
Instead of directly answering the question, Secretary Hegseth criticized the Biden administration, claiming U.S. boats had surrendered to Iran under his watch.
"We're talking about a war you started," Sen. Reed interjected. "Your fallback to the Biden administration is just a very, very obvious excuse for what I think is probably, as you describe so often, gross negligence.
You did not fully inform the president that you would be in a situation where the Strait of Hormuz could be effectively closed."
Secretary Hegseth said President Trump was fully aware of the risk and that it was "all the more reason" why he "deserves the kind of praise he should get for undertaking this effort."
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