US President Donald Trump defended the war against Iran on Wednesday in a Veterans Day address at Arlington National Cemetery, outside Washington, The Hindu reported, citing AFP.
"When this conflict is over, and it will be soon, the entire world will be a much safer and better place," Trump told troops, veterans and senior officials. He said the war had been started not by Washington but by Tehran, which he said "has been waging war on America since 1979", and that US forces were acting to stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon.
The war began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran. It has so far killed 23 US service members and wounded several hundred, according to the latest Pentagon figures.
A rebuke at the tomb
Trump laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before the speech. Later, an Army sentinel guarding the tomb stopped his patrol to address a small group that included Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, his wife and several aides, after some of them laughed while posing for a photograph. "All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times," the sentinel said. Hegseth turned to look at the guard as the group left.
In his speech, Trump praised Hegseth, saying he had "done a fantastic job". On Tuesday, Republicans in the House of Representatives blocked an effort, started by an outgoing Republican lawmaker, to impeach Hegseth for allegedly waging war without congressional authorisation.
Background
Trump also said a 76-metre triumphal arch he wants to build just outside the cemetery would be dedicated "soon". On Tuesday, the family of John F. Kennedy asked a court to stop its construction, arguing it would block views of and cast shadows over Kennedy family graves. The project also faces lawsuits from a group of veterans, the city of Washington and the state of Virginia.