US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has faced criticism for framing the conflict with Iran as a divinely sanctioned war, with his personal pastor delivering sermons at the Pentagon that suggest God controls the fall of Tomahawk missiles. The remarks come after a US strike on a school in Minab, Iran, on 28 February killed over 175 people, mostly children. A preliminary US military investigation indicated US responsibility, but neither President Donald Trump nor Hegseth has expressed remorse.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host and US Army veteran, belongs to an obscure Calvinist branch of evangelical Christianity that believes in predestination—the idea that God directs all events. Professor Julie Ingersoll of the University of North Florida, who studies this Reformed Christianity, noted that adherents believe nothing happens outside God's will, including the bombing of a school. She cited biblical passages where God orders genocide to illustrate this worldview.
At a 25 March Pentagon worship service, Hegseth prayed for 'overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy,' prompting a rebuke from Pope Leo, who said on Palm Sunday that God ignores prayers from those with 'hands full of blood.' Hegseth has repeatedly invoked 'God's almighty providence' and called for prayer 'in the name of Jesus Christ' for victory, while dismissing 'stupid rules of engagement.'
Critics question why the US, which avoided bombing Tehran for 47 years despite tensions, has now taken such risks. The war has led to deadly attacks on US bases, economic fallout from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and a temporary ceasefire on Tuesday after six weeks. Some analysts suggest Hegseth's militant Christian theology, including Crusader tattoos and disdain for diplomacy, may have influenced the decision to escalate.
