NEWS AND ANALYSIS:
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators Wednesday that China’s ruling communist government is no longer limiting its ambitions to regional hegemony but ultimately wants to dominate the world.
In testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mr. Hegseth said the U.S. military strategy of peace through strength aims to prevent China from accomplishing either of its goals.
“Beijing is preparing for war in the Indo-Pacific as part of its broader strategy to dominate that region and then the world,” he stated.
“Were it to succeed, it would be able to attempt to derail American reindustrialization and then strangle the U.S. economy. This cannot happen and my department will not let it happen,” he said.
The comments in prepared testimony were the rare acknowledgment by a senior American official that the Chinese Communist Party has designs for global geopolitical control.
To prevent war in the Pacific, the Pentagon is seeking a “durable peace” through strengthening deterrence, Mr. Hegseth said.
Bolstering American military power there includes moving more forces to the region and working with regional allies to strengthen defense capabilities, he said.
Mr. Hegseth said U.S. military cooperation has already been expanded with Australia, Japan and the Philippines in deterring threats from China.
The Pentagon also has reached “new understandings” with allies about increasing military power in the coming months, he said.
Mr. Hegseth said China has made clear its intention to dominate the Indo-Pacific first, and then expand its system of governance, known as Marxism-Leninism with Chinese characteristics, throughout the world.
The expansion also includes projecting military power into the Western Hemisphere on a larger and more sustained basis, Mr. Hegseth said.
“That is evident not just in China’s belligerent activities throughout the region but also — and most glaringly — in its massive, historic military buildup, including expanding numbers of advanced submarines, ships, aircraft and satellites, as well as increasingly dangerous missile threats and cyber capabilities,” Mr. Hegseth said.
The Trump administration is working to drive Chinese influence out of Panama, he said.
Beijing’s ongoing and rapidly expanding nuclear forces buildup is also a major worry, the defense secretary said.
To block Chinese expansionism, the Pentagon is focusing on quickly building advanced weapons and other capabilities that will deny “Chinese aggression in the first island chain, strengthening our forward posture in the Western Pacific, and working closely with our allies and partners to bolster our collective ability to deter or respond effectively to aggression,” he said.
Regional U.S. military power enhancement includes increased rotations of warplanes, submarines and Army watercraft to Australia.
Greater military cooperation with India and Japan also is being carried out.
In Japan, the U.S. Forces Japan is being upgraded into a new joint force headquarters and B-1 bombers are being deployed at Misawa Air Base for the first time.
U.S. forces are also increasing cooperation with the Philippines and increasing U.S. military activities in the South China Sea.
“These investments will prioritize combat-credible military forces and reestablish deterrence,” Mr. Hegseth said.
A key element of the strategy is pressing regional allies to increase defense investments and commit to fielding powerful military capabilities to “deter China in the coming years, and for decades to come,” Mr. Hegseth said.
“Communist China is on the rise and is preparing for conflict. But conflict is not inevitable and let me stress once again that our goal is to prevent war through increasing U.S. strength. We long for peace, but we must prepare for war,” he said.
On the Israel-Iran conflict, Mr. Hegseth during his committee testimony declined to discuss the options presented to President Trump for military operations.
However, in his prepared remarks, Mr. Hegseth stated that America is fully committed to Israel’s security and noted the shipment of 2,000-pound Mark 84 bombs sent to Israel earlier this year.
The Mark 84s, which were blocked for export to Israel by the Biden administration, can blast through up to 11 feet of concrete, and are expected to be used by the Israelis against hardened or underground Iranian nuclear sites.
Military leaders: Iranian nuclear arms effort advancing
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Congress on Wednesday that Iran is increasing efforts toward building nuclear weapons and that the Tehran regime poses a significant threat.
“Iran’s nuclear ambitions have also escalated, and they have undertaken key activities that better position it to produce a testable nuclear device,” Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman, stated in prepared testimony Wednesday to the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“Additionally, Iran has threatened to target U.S. bases, indicating advancements in its missile range capabilities.”
Gen. Caine said Iran poses a multilevel threat to the United States through terrorist proxy networks, missile programs and backing for Russian military operations in Ukraine.
Days before Israel launched attacks against Iran’s nuclear facilities, Army Gen. Michael Kurilla, commander of the U.S. Central Command, also disclosed new details on the expanding Iranian nuclear program.
Gen. Kurilla said Iran already has an active chemical weapons program and is working on pharmaceutical-based agents for offensive purposes.
“And there is the looming threat of nuclear armament,” the four-star general said. “Stockpiles of enriched uranium continue to accumulate in facilities across the country under the guise of a civilian nuclear program.”
Gen. Kurilla said the most recent report on the Iranian nuclear program by the International Atomic Energy Agency revealed Tehran doubled its uranium enrichment capabilities in the past six months.
He also warned that “Iran continues to gain knowledge and skills directly linked to nuclear weapon production.”
Gen. Kurilla, quoting a regional U.S. partner, said a nuclear-armed Iran would alter the Middle East overnight and forever and likely set off a regional arms race with catastrophic consequences.
President Trump on Wednesday said he has not decided whether to authorize a strike on Iran.
Speaking to reporters, the president said he “may do it, I may not do it” regarding a strike.
U.S. forces in the region include B-2 bombers and cruise missile-firing destroyers.
Gen. Kurilla said that Iran was significantly weakened by Israeli airstrikes and the decimation of key Iranian proxies.
Nuclear weapons for Tehran were the “one remaining pillar the regime may consider its best chance at restoring deterrence and imposing its will on the region — the threat of developing a nuclear weapon,” he said.
For a nuclear weapon, 90% enriched uranium is needed and 25 kilograms of that material is enough to construct a simple nuclear weapon, he said, quoting the IAEA.
Current estimates put the amount of 60% enriched uranium in Iranian stocks at 400 kilograms, nearly double the amount it was six months ago, Gen. Kurilla said.
“This is mere steps from reaching the 90% threshold for weaponization,” he said. “Should the regime decide to sprint to a nuclear weapon, it is estimated that current stockpiles and the available centrifuges across several enrichment plants are sufficient to produce its first 25 kilograms of weapons-grade material in roughly one week and enough for up to 10 nuclear weapons in three weeks,” he said.
The alarming testimony appears at odds with that of National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, who appeared to play down Iran’s nuclear advances.
Ms. Gabbard said in testimony to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in late March that intelligence analysts continue “to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme leader Khomeini has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003.”
Mr. Trump on Tuesday dismissed the DNI’s statement saying Iran was “very close” to having a nuclear weapon.
Asked aboard Air Force One about Ms. Gabbard’s statement, Mr. Trump said: “I don’t care what she said. I think they were very close to having” a nuclear weapon.
The president also said Wednesday he is committed to preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during a Senate hearing Wednesday that “the Israelis are making great progress” in knocking out Iranian nuclear capabilities.
Two nuclear sites in Iran have been bombed by the Israelis and several nuclear scientists have been killed in the conflict so far.
Trump threatens Iranian supreme leader
President Trump this week threatened Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an apparent bid to prompt the regime in Tehran to capitulate in its war with Israel.
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” Mr. Trump stated on Truth Social.
“He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Mr. Trump said Wednesday that Iran is seeking talks with the United States on ending the conflict and offered to send negotiators to the White House.
However, Mr. Trump said it is difficult for any Iranian officials to exit the country because of Israeli warplanes that have achieved control of the airspace.
“We now have complete and total control of the skies over Tehran,” Mr. Trump said, apparently referring to Israel and the U.S.
Mr. Trump posted a two-word demand to Iran immediately after the threat to take out the Iranian leader: “Unconditional surrender!”
The ayatollah said in Iran on Wednesday that Mr. Trump is a “has-been warmonger” and that Tehran isn’t frightened by his “absurd rhetoric.”
He also rejected the U.S. demand to surrender in the current war.
“The U.S. President threatens us. With his absurd rhetoric, he demands that the Iranian people surrender to him. They should make threats against those who are afraid of being threatened. The Iranian nation isn’t frightened by such threats,” the ayatollah said in a statement on X.
• Contact Bill Gertz on X @BillGertz.
