The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Ismail Baghaei, stated at a press conference: “They have acknowledged a reality. For a long time, we have referred to the U.S. Department of Defense as the Department of War in our media rhetoric, because its actions reflect this description.” He added: “What happened is merely a reflection of an existing truth, as this institution has always been in a state of war with others,” according to Iranian news agency Tasnim.
Last Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to change the name of the Department of Defense to the “Department of War.” Trump considered his decision to send a “message of victory” to the world during remarks to reporters at the White House. He explained, alongside U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, that the new name is “more appropriate in light of the current world situation.” Hegseth welcomed the change he had long advocated for, saying: “We will move from defense to offense, from lukewarm legitimacy to maximum lethality.” He stressed that the name change “is not just about terminology but embodies the warrior spirit.”
It is noted that the U.S. Department of Defense was known as the Department of War until 1949, when Congress unified the Army, Navy, and Air Force following World War II. Historians point out that the choice of the name at that time was partly to reflect America’s direction in the nuclear age towards preventing the outbreak of conflicts.
