Pete Hegseth held a press conference this afternoon.
13:35, Wed, Mar 4, 2026 Updated: 13:49, Wed, Mar 4, 2026
Iran tried to assassinate Donald Trump, it has been claimed (Image: Getty)
Iran tried to assassinate Donald Trump, the US Secretary of War has claimed. In an address from The Pentagon, Pete Hegseth said US forced "hunted down and killed" the leader of an Iranian unit that tried to assassinate the US President. He said: "Also yesterday, the leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate President Trump has been hunted down and killed.
"Iran tried to kill President Trump. And President Trump got the last laugh." Mr Hegseth also boasted that "America is winning" its campaign against Iran, alongside Israel. Four days after the two countries launched joint strikes, the Secretary of War said "we have only just begun" the campaign to wipe out Iran's capabilities.
Pete Hegseth said Iran tried to assassinate Donald Trump. (Image: Getty)
He said: "We are only four days into this, metrics are shifting, dust is settling and more forces are arriving.
"It's very early and, as President Trump has said, we will take all the time we need to make sure that we succeed... They are toast and they know it, or at least soon enough they will know it.
"We have only just begun to hunt, dismantle, demoralise, destroy and defeat their capabilities.
"Starting last night and to be completed in a few days in under a week, the two most powerful air forces in the world will have complete control of Iranian skies. Uncontested airspace."
Mr Hegseth's is the latest in a series of claims that Iran has been trying to take out Mr Trump.
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Earlier this week, the US President said Iran tried to assassinate him twice when speaking to reporters about the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
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He told ABC News: "I got him before he got me. They tried twice. Well I got him first."
2 hours ago
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