US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has stirred controversy after reciting a prayer at the Pentagon that closely mirrors lines from 1994 Hollywood film 'Pulp Fiction'. Delivered during a worship service at the US military headquarters, the moment drew attention for both its wording and the context in which it was used. Hegseth told the audience the prayer had been shared with him by the lead mission planner involved in a rescue operation for two US Air Force personnel shot down over Iran. He described it as a message commonly used in combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) missions. “This prayer was recited by Sandy 1, to all Sandys, all those A-10 crews, prior to all CSAR missions, but especially this CSAR mission that happened in real time,” Hegseth said. “They call it CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17,” he added. Also Read: US-Iran War To Resume? Trump's War Secy Warns Tehran Of 'Strikes' If Peace Deal Rejected The prayer he recited included the lines: “The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men… And you will know my call sign is Sandy One, when I lay my vengeance upon thee. Amen.” Multiple media reports said that the wording closely resembles a well-known monologue delivered by Samuel L. Jackson's character in Pulp Fiction, directed by Quentin Tarantino. In the film, the speech is framed as a Biblical quote from the Book of Ezekiel, though it is largely fictional and adapted for dramatic effect. Pete Hegseth quoted a fake Bible verse from Pulp Fiction during a Pentagon sermon.pic.twitter.com/1o3CJiJYRF— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 16, 2026 The original Biblical verse, Ezekiel 25:17, is significantly shorter and carries a different meaning: “And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.” The Pentagon recitation replaced references to the Lord with language tied to military roles and mission identity, further fuelling debate over the blending of religious imagery with combat rhetoric. The controversy comes at a sensitive time, as tensions escalate between US President Donald Trump and Pope Leo. Trump has recently criticised the Pope as weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy over his opposition to the US role in the Iran conflict. Pope Leo, the first American pontiff, has responded in a measured tone, saying he has no fear of the Trump administration while urging peace and criticising leaders who invoke religion to justify war. Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has stirred controversy after reciting a prayer at the Pentagon that closely mirrors lines from 1994 Hollywood film 'Pulp Fiction'. Delivered during a worship service at the US military headquarters, the moment drew attention for both its wording…
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A tanker identified as the Kaifan was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 21 report from UK Maritime Trade Operations. No ships were observed transiting the strait that day. Attribution of the strike and links to prior incidents have not been confirmed by the vessel’s owner.
Goldman Sachs has projected Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in the following year, conditional on reduced Middle East tensions, while noting upside risks from potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea.
Brent prices rose above $91 per barrel amid recent U.S.-Iran exchanges and Houthi threats to Saudi shipments before edging lower on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to preserve an interim agreement.
Opening summary: Iran claims attacks on strait of Hormuz ships amid fresh US strikes Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East crisis. Iran attacked a tanker in the strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announced they were imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.
A Houthi official said the Bab al-Mandeb strait – at the southern end of the Red Sea, through which about 12% of the world’s trade usually passes – would be closed to the Saudis in response to the kingdom’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years”.
Saudi Arabia said it would take “all necessary measures to protect its vessels in accordance with international law”. A 10 consecutive night of US airstrikes has not compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
But even as Iran’s president said the country had returned “full-scale war”, the Iranian interior minister travelled to Pakistan – a key mediator in the conflict – for talks. In key developments: The latest US strikes came hours after Donald Trump said Iran would pay “many times over” for killing US soldiers after multiple service members were killed in action over the weekend.
A tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the Hormuz strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack as well as two other attacks on ships in the waterway on Monday.
The US military’s Central Command said its latest airstrikes were to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait and included hitting military command centres and missile and drone launch sites. Iranian media reported strikes in parts of the country including Bandar Abbas, Tabriz and Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power.
Iran’s launched attacks in response against Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, which all host US forces. Oil prices softened after hitting their highest levels in more than a month in the previous session. Brent crude futures eased 0.4% to $88.87 a barrel by 0052 GMT on Tuesday while US West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.
47 a barrel. Democrats have seized on the deaths of three US troops killed in Iranian strikes to urge Trump to urgently reverse his resumption of the war with Iran amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties. The Lebanese army began taking charge of security in three southern villages, the US said, as a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah faced its first test on the ground.
US forces struck the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, killing three Indian crew members when munitions hit the engine room and adjacent areas. Maritime tracking data indicate the vessel had transported Iranian oil under US sanctions for several years and conducted offshore transfers prior to the strike.
The US military described the action as a precision operation, while reports note the ship was stationary at the time.