Trump shifts Iran war strategy from 'sledgehammer' Pete Hegseth to another cabinet member
Trump shifts Iran war strategy from 'sledgehammer' Pete Hegseth to another cabinet member
Jack HobbsSun, August 30, 2026 at 1:42 AM UTC
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President Donald Trump has starting icing out Pete Hegseth over his inability to get the U.S. out of Iran -Credit:AFP via Getty Images
Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump's head of the Department of War, is reportedly being pushed to the margins by the president, who has increasingly turned to other Cabinet members for guidance on the conflict in Iran.
Sources from the West Wing have observed that the president has started leaning more heavily on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as he searches for an exit strategy from the six-month conflict. "One is a sledgehammer, and the other is a scalpel," a source told The Daily Mail when drawing comparisons between the Secretary of War and the Treasury Secretary.
According to the outlet, the president expressed his frustrations during a stay at Camp David, the presidential retreat, earlier this month, reportedly seething over shortages of essential defense munitions. The source indicated that the president was incensed with Hegseth because he had supposedly been assured the issue had been resolved.
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Hegseth, along with others on the president's team, has faced accusations from insiders of only "telling Trump what he wants to hear" reinforcing concerns voiced by Republicans on Capitol Hill that the president has surrounded himself with "yes-men" military advisors.
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"Hegseth is afraid of Trump and won't be as honest as he should about the war for fear of losing his job," a Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee remarked last month. Yet, when Trump convenes his team to deliberate on the conflict, Bessent is typically absent from the discussions, reports the Express US.
Republican insiders have claimed that Hegseth is too afraid to tell Trump what he needs to hear -Credit:Getty Images
According to one source, these high-level meetings include Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and several other officials, all briefing the president. Reports now indicate that the Treasury Secretary has secured a position in these crucial discussions.
On Monday, Bessent unveiled the U.S.'s latest strategy targeting Iran: Operation Economic Outcast. This new approach aims to force Iran and its various trading partners to the negotiating table through sanctions, following an intermittent bombing campaign that failed to compel Iranian compliance.
Trump reportedly grew angry at Hegseth when he found out that the U.S. was low on defensive missiles -Credit:Andrew Harnik, Getty Images
"The environment changed," noted the Trump official, acknowledging that this reality is beginning to dawn on the administration. The official indicated that many within the White House are coming to terms with the fact that they simply "can't bludgeon them anymore."
Trump's frustration with Hegseth emerges as Iran's president delivered a message to Trump urging him to cease creating instability, emphasizing that the standoff could be settled through communication, discussion, and diplomacy. "If we proceed through dialogue and on the basis of the memorandum of understanding, we will resolve the problems and secure our rights," Pezeshkian stated during a ceremony in Tehran, according to Mehr News Agency.
Scott Bessentt has found himself the apple of the president's eye in all thing Iran-related -Credit:Anadolu via Getty Images
"It is in the interest of the country, the region, and the world that Donald Trump does not create turmoil and that Israel does not cause insecurity and aggression," he added. Pezeshkian stated that Tehran was pursuing diplomatic solutions to its disputes, while firmly emphasizing that the Iranian people, officials, and military commanders would "never surrender" when confronted with threats and hostility.
"We do not like war, but we will stand with strength against aggression and defend ourselves," he declared, further noting that no global power could compel a unified nation, resolute in defending its homeland, to capitulate. Pezeshkian also seized the moment to level accusations at Israel, claiming it was attempting to drive a wedge between Muslim nations, and called for stronger solidarity among them to counter such moves from Tel Aviv.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
