Pete Hegseth is imbuing violence with a religious righteousness | Arwa Mahdawi

The defense secretary prayed for ‘overwhelming violence’ against enemies in Iran. He seems to delight in itIs it woke to wash your hands? Pete Hegseth seems to think so. Back in 2019 when he was still just a Fox News host rather than the guy in charge of “”, Hegseth that he hadn’t washed his hands for 10 years because “.” He added: “I can’t see them; therefore, they’re not real.”Hegseth later claimed he was joking. But even if he was, the defense secretary is never going to be able to wash the blood from his hands. The 45-year-old, one of the of the war on Iran, he wants “maximum lethality, not tepid legality” to the be the hallmark of the US military, and he’s been making good on that promise. Under his watch, a defense department program aimed at has been dismantled, and experts who provide guidance on keeping military operations in line with international law have been fired. And, of course, a has been bombed.Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist On Monday 8 June, join Mehdi Hasan and Arwa Mahdawi to discuss the current seismic changes in geopolitics, the alarming rise of populism and nationalism, and its global implications. Live in London and livestreamed worldwide. Book tickets or at