'Quite Disheartening': Hagerty Slams 'Long-Standing Allies' For 'Feckless' Behavior In Iran War

Added: 2026-05-10

[00:00:00]so much and we'll move from there to Senator Hagerty.

[00:00:03]Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to thank the gentleman here today for your willingness to serve. I'm very heartened to see such strong leadership at the United Nations and delighted to have you here today.

[00:00:14]I'd like to talk with you, Ambassador Wilson, just a bit about our allies and and their support of our efforts, particularly our efforts in Iran.

[00:00:24]And if I think about it, President Trump has been, I think, rather concerned about the responses some allies, even allies who serve as permanent members in the UN National on the UN Security Council.

[00:00:36]I just wanted to get your thoughts on the dynamics on the UN Security Council, how our allies are working well with us and what you'd like to see more from our allies.

[00:00:47]Well, thank you, Senator, and while there's a lot of consternation, [clears throat] I would say, especially focused on our European partners and their positions, which, frankly, I think most Americans find outrageous.

[00:01:05]They're We're not asking to commit ground troops. We're not asking to commit um other forces. I mean, simple overflight rights, simple use of bases that we have contributed to for many decades.

[00:01:19]Um I don't think they're unfair asks and certainly will affect the relationship going forward. But here's the good news.

[00:01:28]And here's what I absolutely think will backfire, is backfiring on Iran for the foreseeable future. Our Gulf allies have never been more united. They've had real issue with each other in Yemen, in Sudan, and in other places, but right now, as they get bombarded, Iran could have responded in all kinds of ways.

[00:01:55]I think some people expected them to perhaps attack our bases in the Middle East, but to launch the hundreds and thousands of drones and missiles into resorts and hotels and civilian neighborhoods and civilian infrastructure is absolutely outrageous and I was very encouraged to see 135 countries align with Bahrain, align with the GCC, and stand firm to condemn that in international law through the UN Security Council and going forward. Many of these Gulf It's a tough neighborhood. Yeah. Qatar, UAE, others, Qatar had a free trade zone that Iran used. They had banking services that Iran used. Qatar shares a gas field.

[00:02:40]They are solidly on our side in this conflict. They've seen Iran for what it is and they are all thanking us profusely at the highest levels that we've taken action if before Iran could blackmail the world and the region with a nuclear weapon. I think that the world has had the opportunity to see what Iran truly is, as you said. And it's been heartening to see our allies in the Middle East step up. It's also been quite disheartening, I would say, to see some of our allies, some of our long-standing allies, who I would have thought would have been standing shoulder to shoulder with us behaving in such a feckless manner. And I very much appreciate your leadership and and I >> [clears throat] >> I hope showing a mirror to to those members that have been our allies for a long time, particularly those on the on the UN Security Council, that the United States is going to lead from a strong position and I hope they'll see the the opportunity to be inspired to do the same.

[00:03:35]Thank you and I just I want to be clear though, Senator. Look, we share the same values, we share the same goals. We can be friends and family and have disagreements, but, you know, I wouldn't call it a divorce by by any means, but we do need our European allies regardless of their political position. There's a real lack of military capability in in many ways and that is being exposed right now as Iran tries to hold the world's economy hostage and we cannot have a situation, whether it's the Straits of Gibraltar, the Bering Straits, the Straits of Malacca, where two parties have a conflict, regardless of what you think of the conflict, that one side uses international waterways to to impose collective punishment on the rest of the world.

[00:04:23]>> Yeah. And so we are taking strong action in the Security Council and there's even discussion now, finally, of of the UN labeling the IRGC a terrorist organization, which is exactly what it is.

[00:04:37]>> I applaud that. I applaud that.

[00:04:38]Gentlemen, in the short time I have left, I just want to raise one other issue. It's a It's a concern that we all have. And that is the United States is the largest funder of the United Nations. And it's a very simple question. I I think we all ask ourselves, how effective is the UN? Are we getting our money's worth? Are we getting an adequate return on our on our investment? And I'll start with you, Mr. Bartos, and then Ambassador Wilson, if you'd comment as well.

[00:05:02]Senator, I think it's a mixed bag. It's a great question. It's the question we ask ourselves every day and our team has worked on. Some of our colleagues, the career civil service and foreign service officers have worked on for a decade or more, care deeply about the organization and making it fit for purpose and making it work. And so I think on the humanitarian side, from what I got to see in the field, the UN is doing really good work and I think the American taxpayers, if any of them, any of my my fellow Pennsylvanians and my fellow Floridians, I got both, I guess.

[00:05:32]If if we if they were in the field in CAR or DRC or or Kenya, they'd be really proud of seeing those American flags helping these these inspired inspiring courageous people who fled the atrocities to to get to seek refuge and and the UN has taken good care of them.

[00:05:48]So I think we can be proud of that. And then, as Senator Ricketts pointed out, and he's absolutely right, and as we have tackled in this administration, the pervasive unconscionable bias against not only our ally Israel and against the West, but blacklisting US companies through through some special rapporteur and so-called Human Rights Council, it's it's unconscionable, it has to stop and the UN has to stop doing stupid things. And so that we are not getting our money's worth there. And so it's really on the peace and security, I think it's a mixed bag.

[00:06:19]>> [clears throat] >> The Central African Republic, the mission is it's called MINUSCA. That's trending in the right direction. Some missions are not getting it done and it will see sunsetting of UNIFIL later this year because of US leadership, because of Ambassador Wilson's leadership and because of the team's leadership and the vision and leadership that the President and the Secretary have have asked us to execute on. So I think it's a mixed bag.

[00:06:40]You know, God willing, have a couple more years to to drive these reforms and I hope to report back to you, you know, before the end of 2028 that we've achieved a whole number of reforms. I think it's a mixed bag and we're we recognize we have a long way to go.

[00:06:53]That's encouraging.

[00:06:54]Uh