Trump sparks awkward Pete Hegseth reaction by suggesting Iran attacks were his idea

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had an awkward reaction when Donald Trump suggested that the US war with Iran was all his idea.

The US and Israel have been bombarding Iran for over three weeks now, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as other senior Iranian officials, and hitting the country's cities and infrastructure.

In response, Iran stopped tankers from passing through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20 percent of global oil shipping passes.

Following this, oil prices have spiked globally, rising to over $110 a barrel from $70 a barrel before the war.

The war in Iran has also been condemned internationally, and experts have warned of global economic collapse as the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz continues.

Addressing the media at a Memphis Safe Task Force roundtable in Tennessee on March 23, Trump appeared to place responsibility for the war on Hegseth.

'You were the first one to speak up'

Trump said: "I called a lot of our great people... and I said, 'Let's talk. We got a problem in the Middle East. We have a country known as Iran that, for 47 years, has been just a purveyor of terror, and they're close to a nuclear weapon'."

The US president then turned to Hegseth and said: "And Pete, I think you were the first one to speak up. And you said, 'Let’s do it, because you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon'."

As Trump said this and turned to him, Hegseth could be seen smiling briefly at the president, before his expression quickly fell as Trump turned away.

Trump on who pushed for the war on Iran: "Pete Hegseth was the first one to speak up. He said, 'Let's do it.'" pic.twitter.com/SQ9OfufX4f

— Conflict Alarm (@ConflictAlarm) March 23, 2026

The president continued: "I think they’re very good. They want peace to - they’ve agreed they will not have a nuclear weapon, you know etc., etc., but we’ll see. You have to get it done.

"But I would say there’s a very good chance."

The war's knock-on effect on the economy

The US economy has already begun to feel the effects of the war in Iran, with mortgage rates previously rising to 6.22 percent amid fears of inflation triggered by surging oil prices.

Trump had previously taken to his social media platform Truth Social with a post where he said that he temporarily lifted a ban on Iranian oil, with prices briefly dropping shortly afterwards, though they have since started to rise again.

Hegseth has previously defended the war, as well as a request for $200 billion of investment to maintain US strikes on Iran.

“As far as $200bn, I think that number could move," he said. "Obviously, it takes money to kill bad guys.

“We’re going back to Congress and folks there to ensure that we’re properly funded for what’s been done, for what we may have to do in the future.”