Pentagon Chief Hegseth declares “no prisoners, no mercy” for Iran war enemies as US and Israeli forces strike 1,000 targets daily.
Hegseth’s War Declarations
Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth stated during a Friday press briefing that “The United States is destroying the military capabilities of Iran’s radical regime in a way the world has never seen before.” He emphasized the war would not be an equal fight.
Hegseth announced American and Israeli forces are striking “over a thousand enemy targets daily” and that “soon all Iranian defense companies will be destroyed.” He described Iranian leaders as “desperate and hiding underground,” comparing them to rats.
“No prisoners, no mercy for our enemies,” Hegseth emphasized, stating the U.S. will “continue to press, continue to strike and move forward” in its response.
International Law Concerns
Al Jazeera pointed out that according to the Hague Convention and other international treaties, threatening an opponent that no mercy will be shown is illegal. The U.S. War Crimes Act of 1996 also prohibits such practices.
The International Committee of the Red Cross defines “no mercy” as “the refusal to spare the life of anyone, even persons manifestly unable to defend themselves or manifestly expressing an intention to surrender” during hostilities.
According to international humanitarian law, “showing no mercy” has been listed as a war crime in a post-World War I commission report. The Iran war, which began February 28, has claimed at least 1,444 victims.
Civilian Casualty Monitoring Reduction
Politico noted that the Pentagon has significantly reduced staff in offices monitoring civilian casualties during military operations, cutting personnel from about 200 to less than 40.
Similar units have been completely eliminated in some commands. This reduction comes after a Pentagon investigation preliminarily determined U.S. forces were responsible for an attack on a girls’ elementary school in Minab.
The February 28 attack killed more than 175 people, mostly girls aged 7-12. The New York Times reported the error could have been due to outdated intelligence information.
