War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday announced that US forces “hunted down and killed” the leader of an Iranian unit behind an assassination plot against President Trump.
“Iran tried to kill President Trump, and President Trump got the last laugh,” Hegseth said.
While discussing how the US has dismantled Iran’s defense capabilities, including its navy and air force, Hegseth told reporters, “the leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate President Trump has been hunted down and killed.”
WATCH:
Hegseth: I liken Iran’s predicament to a football team who scripted the first 20 plays of a game. The team knew what plays to run because their first few drives were scripted. But now that the game has started and the Blitz is on, they don’t know what plays to call, let alone how to get in the huddle and call those plays. Iran’s senior leaders are dead. The so called governing council that might have selected a successor, dead, missing, or cowering in bunkers, too terrified to even occupy the same room. Senior generals, mid level officers, enlisted ranks, they can’t talk or communicate, let alone mount a coordinated and sustained offensive. That’s not great for morale. The Iranian Air Force is no more, built for 1996 destroyed in 2026. The Iranian Navy rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf.
Combat ineffective, decimated, destroyed, defeated— Pick your adjective. In fact, last night, we sunk their prize ship, the Soleimani. Looks like POTUS. Got him twice. Their Navy, not a factor, pick your adjective, it is no more. In fact, yesterday in the Indian Ocean, and we’ll play it on screen there, an American submarine sunk in Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo— quiet death. The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War Two. Like in that war, back when we were still the War Department, we are fighting to win.
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. Now, this is not a mission accomplished situation. This is simply a reality check.
The White House posted a video edit of the clip on X, commenting, “I WAS THE HUNTED, AND NOW I’M THE HUNTER.”
WATCH:
Asked by Daily Wire’s Mary Margaret Olohan how they located the leader who was trying to kill Trump, Hegseth said it “was not the focus of the effort,” but the opportunity arose.
Olohan: Can you tell us more about how we took out the leader, the leader of the group that was trying to assassinate President Trump? And then Turkey’s defense ministry says NATO air defense systems intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile headed towards Turkish airspace. Could this trigger NATO’s Article Five, and was it the US who shot it down?
Hegseth: On the first question, we’ve known for a long time that Iran had intentions on trying to kill President Trump and or other US officials, and while that was not the focus of the effort by any stretch of the imagination, in fact, never raised by the President or anybody else. I ensured, and others ensured that those who were responsible for that were eventually part of the target list. It wasn’t the beginning of the effort focused on missiles and launchers. And that’s the focus, but ultimately, if we had the opportunity to get at those who are trying to get at Americans, specifically, we would. And so we eventually had the opportunity to do that from the air.
And then on the matter with Turkey, I’ll have to get back to you on exactly what the intercept looked like. We’re aware of that particular engagement, although no sense that it would trigger anything like Article Five, no.
As The Gateway Pundit reported, President Trump also recently bragged that he killed Khamenei “before he got me.” He added, “They tried twice.”
MORE:
Trump on Khamenei: “I Got Him Before He Got Me. They Tried Twice“
The post WATCH: Pete Hegseth Says Leader Behind Iranian Assassination Plot Against Trump was Killed – “Trump Got the Last Laugh” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.