senator. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) asked the Secretary of Defense Peter Heggs Clarifying his “show no mercy” remarks, noting that the phrase legally means killing enemy combatants rather than capturing them.
Kelly questions ‘leave no excuses’ comments
Kelly said in a post on Monday X Hegseth must explain his comments about U.S. military operations.
“Secretary Hegseth needs to explain exactly what he means by ‘no forgiveness,'” Kelly wrote.
He added, “As we all know, this means taking no prisoners – killing them rather than accepting their surrender.”
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In a formal letter to the Pentagon, Kelly said the phrase has a clear meaning in the laws of armed conflict and is expressly prohibited.
“Historically and legally, it refers to a declaration by a military commander that no enemy combatants can be captured, that is, that they should be killed rather than allowed to surrender,” Kelly wrote.
He added that declarations of “no mercy” are prohibited by international agreements such as the Geneva and Hague Conventions and could constitute a war crime under the US War Crimes Act of 1996.
Kelly asked Hegseth to clarify whether his statement – “We will keep pushing, keep moving forward, show no mercy, no mercy to our enemies” – reflected actual U.S. policy or rules of engagement.
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The senator also asked Hegseth to confirm that U.S. actions will comply with international law and that service members have an obligation to refuse illegal orders.
Minister Heggs needs to explain exactly what he means by “no mercy”. As we all know, this means taking no prisoners – killing them rather than accepting their surrender. This is illegal under U.S. and international law and will expose our service members to even greater… pic.twitter.com/xRDBtb7lJX
— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) March 16, 2026
US-Iran Conflict: Casualties, Spending and Intelligence Updates
The Pentagon expects the U.S.-Iran conflict to last for weeks and that Americans will face higher energy prices, a senior White House official said on Sunday.
Kevin Hassett The military estimates the operation could take four to six weeks and is progressing faster than expected.
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Last week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer New York Democrats criticized the Pentagon’s spending amid reports that Hegseth oversaw $93 billion in one month that was allegedly spent on luxuries rather than public needs.
Heggs also acknowledged that there could be more American casualties as the operation continues, but said the losses would strengthen U.S. resolve.
He added that the administration was monitoring reports that Russia was sharing intelligence about U.S. military positions with Iran and said the U.S. was adjusting plans accordingly.
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This article Mark Kelly Asks Pete Hegseth to Explain ‘No Mercy, No Mercy to Our Enemies’ Comments Citing Potential War Crimes originally appeared on Benzinga.com
