Pete Hegseth slammed as Iran war kills three U.S. troops
War Secretary Pete Hegseth faces fierce backlash after three U.S. service members were killed amid renewed Iran hostilities, as Democrats demand the war end and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene accused him of "bloodlust" over a tribute post saying troop deaths "stiffens our resolve."
Key Takeaways
- CENTCOM said three U.S. service members were killed after Iran war fighting resumed, including two in Jordan and one in Iraq.
- Pete Hegseth wrote that their "sacrifice only stiffens our resolve," prompting an expletive-laced reply from Marjorie Taylor Greene.
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the conflict a "reckless and costly war of choice" that must end.
- The Pentagon named 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, among those killed in Jordan.
- An Economist/YouGov poll found 57% of U.S. adults surveyed July 10–14 believe the decision to go to war was wrong.
What happened to the three U.S. service members?
According to Time, two U.S. service members in Jordan were "killed in action" on Friday as CENTCOM and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. A third service member in northern Iraq was "killed in action" on Saturday during a "controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone."
The Pentagon on Monday identified two of the slain troops: 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, killed July 18, 2026, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, killed July 17, 2026, during an enemy attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. The incident remains under investigation.
President Donald Trump paid tribute to the fallen as "great patriots" and said the latest U.S. strikes against Iran were carried out in their honor. Since initial U.S. and Israeli strikes began Feb. 28, an estimated 17 U.S. military personnel have been killed in the war.
Why is Pete Hegseth under fire from Marjorie Taylor Greene?
Pete Hegseth shared a CENTCOM update on X and wrote, "Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve." Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., replied: "Sacrifice?? What the f--- are you talking about?? They did not willingly sacrifice themselves."
Greene argued the troops "were killed because of the war you, Trump, and the admin, are waging on behalf of a FOREIGN COUNTRY, Israel," and accused Hegseth of using their deaths to "fuel your bloodlust for a senseless war." Earlier, she said Trump "needs to bring our troops home and stop this senseless America LAST war!!!"
Fox News Digital reported it reached out to the White House and the War Department; Hegseth's office did not immediately respond to a separate HuffPost request for comment cited by Yahoo News.
How are Democratic lawmakers demanding the war end?
Jeffries said Sunday that "the reckless and costly war of choice in Iran has been a disaster" for Americans. After the initial deaths were announced Saturday, he declared, "No more American heroes need to die because of this reckless war of choice."
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici said Congress and the public have spoken: "this war must come to an end." Sen. Chris Van Hollen insisted the "senseless war should never have been started and it needs to end now." Sens. Cory Booker and Jeanne Shaheen, along with Reps. Ted Lieu and Ro Khanna, urged War Powers action or negotiations to halt the conflict. Sen. Chris Murphy warned Trump has "frighteningly lost control of this war."
Hostilities paused after a June 17 Memorandum of Understanding set a 60-day cease-fire, but Trump declared the interim deal "over" on July 8 after Iranian strikes on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. For traders tracking geopolitical risk and market swings, see BlasterPost's Fintech & Crypto Alerts coverage.