Secretary Hegseth is okay with waging a war in Iran, but having his unflattering photos taken is where he draws the line
United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has always supported President Donald Trump’s decisions and actions. Regarding the war in Iran, as expected, Hegseth has openly shown his unwavering support for Daddy Don and his endeavours. He has also defended him on numerous occasions, most recently claiming that Iran was likely to have bombed its elementary school rather than the US, although initial investigations found otherwise.
Meanwhile, while Hegseth continues to deny any responsibility in the elementary school bombing and supports Donald Trump, it appears there is a more urgent issue he believes the public should focus on: how he appears in his photographs. Yes, that is the latest talk of the town. Multiple sources, including The Washington Post and People, report that Hegseth’s aides are unhappy with how his photos appear at public events, which has led them to restrict access to him.
Pete Hegseth’s staff blocks press over his “unflattering” photos
According to an article published by the Washington Post on March 11, 2026, press photographers are no longer permitted to photograph Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The decision, according to two anonymous sources familiar with the matter, came after some “unflattering” photos of Hegseth surfaced publicly following his March 2, 2026, briefing about the war in Iran.
Because Hegseth’s aides disliked his photos from that appearance, the Washington Post reported that photographers were barred from capturing him during his subsequent sightings on March 4 and March 10, 2026. In a statement, the United States Department of Defence press secretary addressed the speculation surrounding Hegseth’s no-photograph policy: “In order to use space in the Pentagon Briefing Room effectively, we are allowing one representative per news outlet if uncredentialed, excluding pool. Photographs from the briefings are immediately released online for the public and press to use. If that hurts the business model for certain news outlets, then they should consider applying for a Pentagon press credential.”
Trump shows no signs of the US ceasing its attacks on Iran
During a recent press briefing on March 9, 2026, Trump made it clear that the US was not finished with its actions in Iran and intends to stay as long as necessary. When asked about conflicting statements from him and Hegseth, where Trump implied the war was nearing its end, and Hegseth suggested it had just begun, Trump said both were true.
Discussing the issue, Trump said, “Well, I think you could say both, the beginning. It’s the beginning of building a new country, but they certainly… they have no navy. They have no air force. They have no anti-aircraft equipment. It’s all been blown up. They have no radar. They have no telecommunications, and they have no leadership. It’s all gone. So you know, you could look at that statement. We could…we could call it a tremendous success. Right now, as we leave here, I could call it, or we could go further, and we’re going to go further. But the big risk on that war has been over for three days.”
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