Also known as: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth · Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth · Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth · US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth · US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth · U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth
US Defence Secretary whose designation of AI firm Anthropic as a national security risk was ruled illegal by a federal judge in August 2026.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Joy Online
… Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Senate hearing on Thursday he understood that the 60-day clock stopped during the truce. …
US official says Iran war truce ‘terminated’ hostilities for war powers deadlineJoy Online
… A number of top administration officials are in attendance, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. …
Trump evacuated after ‘gunshots’ fired at White House Correspondents DinnerThe US Department of Defence has stopped using Anthropic's AI tools months after designating the company a supply chain risk on national security grounds in February. Multiple sources told the BBC that Anthropic's Claude model was still being used by the Pentagon in research, analysis, intelligence gathering, and military operations as recently as last week.
5 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The US Department of Defence has stopped using Anthropic's AI tools months after designating the company a supply chain risk on national security grounds in February. Multiple sources told the BBC that Anthropic's Claude model was still being used by the Pentagon in research, analysis, intelligence gathering, and military operations as recently as last week.
5 October 2026 · Joy Online →
UN human rights experts found reasonable grounds to believe US missile strikes on a primary school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd in February constituted indiscriminate attacks and war crimes. The experts also found Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during a January security crackdown on mass anti-government protests.
17 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The US Defence Department's inspector general says the war with Iran has led to "shortfalls" in munitions and resupply bottlenecks, contradicting President Trump's claims that US munitions supplies are "virtually unlimited." The US spent more than $22 billion on munitions from February through June, and stocks of some interceptors like the Patriot missile and THAAD have been significantly depleted in some cases by more than half.
15 September 2026 · Joy Online →
A U.S. District Judge ruled that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's designation of Anthropic as a national security supply-chain risk was "illegal and baseless." The blacklisting followed Anthropic's refusal to allow the military to use its Claude AI models for surveillance or autonomous weapons.
30 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Since the United States went to war with Iran six months ago, military families have experienced elevated stress from separation, financial strain, and the conflict's unpredictable pace. A Blue Star Families poll found that 81% of some 200 active-duty military families surveyed in early March reported elevated stress from the Iran conflict.
30 August 2026 · Joy Online →
President Trump announced the US has reached an agreement with Venezuela to control more than 65 billion barrels of its proven oil reserves, which Trump said would more than double American oil reserves and lower gas prices. Secretary of State Rubio said the deal would bring nearly $100 billion in private investment to Venezuela and support thousands of jobs.
29 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Oil prices steadied on Tuesday after falling over 2% on Monday, as investors assessed the impact of expanded U.S. secondary sanctions against Iran announced by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The U.S. is pursuing economic coercion rather than military force, which analysts said reduced concerns about threats to Middle Eastern oil supply.
25 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Thousands of US military members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, deployed for more than 250 days, are reportedly facing food shortages, broken plumbing, exhaustion, and mental health concerns. The carrier's deployment, originally scheduled to end in May, has been repeatedly extended with no return date announced.
13 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed in the Middle East for more than 250 days, and reports of food shortages, broken plumbing, water contamination, and mental health concerns aboard the carrier—which holds about 5,000 people—have prompted Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal to demand answers from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, though the Pentagon has disputed the reports as "completely misrepresented."
13 August 2026 · Joy Online →
US President Donald Trump secretly exited Air Force One on 8 July in Turkey via a catering truck to board a different military plane over security concerns involving Iran, while cabinet members including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained on the decoy aircraft to maintain the line of succession.
13 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Two US cabinet members and other officials remained aboard a decoy Air Force One in Turkey last month while President Trump secretly exited via a catering truck to board a separate military aircraft over Iran security concerns, according to CBS News. The officials stayed behind to maintain the line of succession.
12 August 2026 · Joy Online →
President Trump confirmed he secretly swapped planes while leaving a NATO summit in Turkey in July after US officials detected a credible Iranian threat to fire a missile at the aircraft. Trump said he followed Secret Service and military advice to board a different military jet instead of Air Force One, which had been boarded in public view.
12 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Donald Trump secretly swapped from Air Force One to a smaller military aircraft via a catering truck as he left a NATO summit in Turkey, after US officials detected a credible Iranian threat to fire a missile at the plane, US media report. The White House has not confirmed the secret switch.
11 August 2026 · Joy Online →
President Trump denied reports of a US munitions shortage and vowed to pursue severe penalties for information leakers, as the six-month conflict with Iran continues and debates over US military arsenal levels intensify.
6 August 2026 · Joy Online →
President Trump has halted attacks on Iran for the third consecutive night to create space for talks, according to US ambassador Mike Waltz, while an Iranian spokesperson confirmed Tehran has also paused retaliatory attacks. Oil prices have dropped below $90 per barrel following the pause.
27 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The US ambassador to the UN said President Trump has paused attacks on Iran for the second night to give diplomacy more time, after nearly two weeks of daily US strikes and tit-for-tat attacks. Iran's army spokesperson said Tehran had halted "retaliatory" attacks in response, and Iran and Oman held technical talks on managing the Strait of Hormuz.
26 July 2026 · Joy Online →
US President Donald Trump has paused attacks on Iran for the second night in a row to give diplomacy space, according to US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz. Iran's army spokesperson said Tehran had also halted "retaliatory" attacks in response, as Iran and Oman held technical talks on managing the Strait of Hormuz.
26 July 2026 · Joy Online →
US President Donald Trump took swipes at journalists at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, accusing many of "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and criticizing "fake news," while the event celebrated press freedom following a shooting that had cancelled the previous dinner three months earlier.
25 July 2026 · Joy Online →
BAE Systems boss warns the UK has been complacent about foreign attack risk and says defence spending must increase beyond current plans to meet a 3.5% GDP target by 2035. He notes that Russia and Ukraine have become adept at using autonomous weapons like drones, and that the UK must develop counter-capabilities.
24 July 2026 · Joy Online →
President Trump threatened that the US would destroy Iranian bridges or power plants, including targets near Tehran, if attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz continue. The threat follows US strikes on Iran for the 11th consecutive night, with Iranian air defences activated and explosions reported in several cities including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, and Bushehr.
22 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Brent crude futures rose 0.55% to $91.51 and U.S. West Texas Intermediate climbed 0.36% to $84.64 after U.S. forces struck Iranian military targets for the 11th straight night and Kuwait reported Iranian drone attacks. Fears of supply disruptions intensified as Yemen's Houthis threaten to target vessels carrying Saudi oil in the Red Sea.
22 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the war with Iran has cost the US $37.5bn, an increase of nearly $8bn since May, and sought $87bn in congressional funding for his department, with $67bn destined for Middle East operations.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The U.S. Department of Defence identified two American service members killed during Iranian strikes in Jordan over the weekend: 19-year-old Army Private Isabella Gonzales of Texas and 25-year-old First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan of Hawaii. Both were supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led mission against the Islamic State.
21 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The US launched air strikes against Iranian coastal surveillance and air defence facilities on Saturday, targeting Revolutionary Guards units responsible for an attack in Jordan that killed two US troops and left another missing. Iran's military responded with drone attacks on two US bases in Kuwait, escalating a cycle of tit-for-tat strikes in recent days.
19 July 2026 · Joy Online →
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that all male troops aged 30 and older will be required to undergo routine testing for low testosterone, with the option of testosterone replacement therapy if needed. Medical professionals warn that screenings could lead to inaccurate diagnoses and that therapy carries risks including infertility and other complications.
17 July 2026 · Joy Online →
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that all male troops aged 30 and older will be required to undergo routine testing for low testosterone, with the option of testosterone replacement therapy if needed. Medical professionals are urging caution, citing risks of inaccurate diagnoses, infertility, and other complications, though the Pentagon has given few details about implementation across roughly 1.3 million active-duty troops.
17 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the US military will start testing testosterone levels of service members, with those 30 and older screened annually and younger troops able to request testing. Troops with low levels will be offered voluntary testosterone replacement therapy, which Hegseth said is an initiative to restore and optimise capabilities.
15 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The US says the Strait of Hormuz remains open while Iran claims it has closed the waterway following renewed hostilities. The US struck over 140 targets across Iran on Saturday in response to Iranian forces hitting a ship; Iran's IRGC launched wide-ranging attacks on US bases and regional allies on Sunday, and Centcom announced another round of strikes.
13 July 2026 · Joy Online →
The US said it carried out a fresh wave of strikes on Iran after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked a Cyprus-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says it has closed the waterway until further notice after the ship turned off its systems and diverted from the approved route.
12 July 2026 · Joy Online →
Anthropic has suspended its Claude Fable 5 AI model following US government orders citing security concerns, including a potential method for bypassing restrictions; the company said authorities had not identified specific vulnerabilities but acknowledged a demonstrated jailbreaking technique affecting minor, previously known issues.
13 June 2026 · Joy Online →