Hegseth's Evangelical Stance Draws Fire Amid Iran War

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's blending of conservative evangelical Christianity with Pentagon leadership has drawn renewed and sharpened criticism since the United States and Israel went to war with Iran, an Islamic theocracy.

Hegseth hosts monthly Christian worship services for Pentagon employees, has displayed Bible verses in departmental promotional videos, and has argued publicly that the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation. At a recent Pentagon press briefing, he referred to Iran's Shiite Muslim clerics as "mullahs" who are "desperate and scrambling," then recited Psalm 144: "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle."

Two of Hegseth's tattoos draw from crusader imagery — the Jerusalem Cross and the phrase "Deus Vult," meaning "God wills it," which he has described as "the rallying cry of Christian knights as they marched to Jerusalem." In his 2020 book "American Crusade," he wrote that those who enjoy Western civilization should "thank a crusader."

Matthew D. Taylor, a visiting scholar at Georgetown University who studies religious extremism, said Hegseth's rhetoric and leadership "can only inflame and reinforce the fears and deep animosity that the regime in Iran has towards the U.S."

When asked whether Hegseth views the Iran war in religious terms, a Defense Department spokesperson pointed to a recent CBS interview in which Hegseth said, "Obviously I'm a man of faith who encourages our troops to lean into their faith, rely on God."

For military families on the Treasure Coast, the scrutiny carries direct stakes. Thousands of active-duty service members and veterans live in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties, many with relatives currently deployed or subject to deployment orders tied to the Iran conflict. The Pentagon's direction on chaplaincy — Hegseth scrapped the 2025 U.S. Army Spiritual Fitness Guide and has pledged to narrow the chaplain corps' interfaith scope — affects how non-Christian service members in those families receive spiritual support.

Claims went viral separately that U.S. military commanders were telling troops the Iran war fulfilled biblical prophecies. The Associated Press said it was unable to verify those claims, which stem from a single source. Three major watchdog groups — the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the Anti-Defamation League and the Council on American-Islamic Relations — said they have not received similar complaints. The Pentagon declined to comment.

Thirty Democratic members of Congress have asked the Pentagon inspector general to investigate the unverified biblical-prophecy allegations. No timeline for that review has been announced.

This article was generated with AI assistance using publicly available information. It was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. TC Sentinel uses AI writing tools in accordance with FTC guidelines.