Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: Photo: Collected

WASHINGTON, United States, March 4, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The US defense chief on Wednesday dismissed China and Russia as non-factors in Washington's decision making when it comes to the war against Iran.

"I don't have a message for them, and they're not really a factor here, and our issue is not with them," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a press conference, adding that the US focus was purely on ending what he called "the nuclear ambitions of Iran."

Russia and China have longstanding diplomatic and trade ties with Iran, while Russia has close military links to the country. Both Moscow and Beijing have criticized the US-Israeli war to topple the Iranian government and destroy its military.