US defense chief heckled multiple times by anti-war protesters at army conference

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday was heckled and interrupted multiple times by anti-war protesters during a panel discussion of autonomous warfare in Washington, as demonstrators denounced US military actions and called for an end to the war with Iran.

"Children in Gaza are starving! He is a war criminal!" one protester shouted during the event, while another displayed a sign reading "No war on Iran."

Hegseth appeared to brush off the interruptions before continuing his remarks, referring to one demonstrator by saying: "She thinks highly of me."

Speaking at the Association of the US Army's annual meeting and exposition, Hegseth defended the military strategy of the Trump administration, saying that the US must ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon, one of the chief rationales given for the ongoing war.

He also reiterated his call for a $1.5 trillion investment in defense, arguing that Washington must rebuild its military to counter what he described as an unprecedented military buildup by China, without mentioning the country's name.

"We've got a near-peer adversary who's building a military, the most historic military buildup, potentially in world history," Hegseth said, citing advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, space capabilities, and autonomous warfare.