Pete Hegseth: Reihenweise Abgänge und wachsender Unmut: Der Mann hinter Trumps Iran-Krieg gerät unter Druck

Pete Hegseth, the man behind Trump's Iran war, is under pressure due to a series of exits and growing discontent. The US-Defense Minister had made a snarky comment about Canadian cadet uniforms on his X account, reposting a photo of two young Canadian cadet girls in uniform. He should have been more focused on more pressing matters, as the US and Iran had been attacking each other after a multi-week ceasefire.

In the midst of this conflict, the US military lost another key official: Dan Driscoll, who was in charge of US Army negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. It is believed that Driscoll left due to his disagreements with Hegseth, particularly his personnel policies. Other high-ranking military officials have also left the military under Hegseth's leadership, including General Christopher Donahue, the Commander of US Ground Forces in Europe and Africa, and John Phelan, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

General Randy George, the Chief of Staff of the Army, also resigned at the beginning of April. Despite the criticism, these developments occur amid the ongoing US-Iran war, with public support for the conflict dropping from 77% in March to 69% in late August according to an Ipsos-Reuters poll. The US military's ammunition supplies have also dwindled significantly as a result of the Iran war, with the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimating the current stockpile at 759-827 Patriot missiles and 234-278 THAAD missiles, down from 2,330 Patriot missiles and 452 THAAD missiles at the start of the war.

This has led some US citizens to question the US strategy in Iran, with the administration now relying more on economic sanctions instead of military action. Hegseth has faced numerous negative headlines in recent months, including criticism from the families of soldiers assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, who reported food shortages and psychological issues among the crew.

Hegseth disputes these claims, but the war continues to drain resources, with the US Defense Department spending an estimated $37.5 billion on military operations in Iran since the start of the conflict. Hegseth has attempted to restructure his department, incorporating the views of Trump's MAGA supporters, and has blocked the promotions of many Black and female officials.

In a surprising move, Hegsett ordered dozens of generals and admirals from around the world to Washington for a speech, where he criticized diversity programs and ordered military personnel to maintain their physical fitness and appearance, including cutting their hair and shaving beards. Despite his efforts, Hegseth has survived several scandals, including the mishandling of a confidential signal about an imminent US airstrike in Yemen that endangered the safety of American soldiers.