WASHINGTON

US Sen. Mark Kelly criticized the Trump administration Monday, saying recent remarks by President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggest there was never a clear strategy behind the ongoing war with Iran.

"The ‘no quarter’ comment by the SecDef and this ‘just for fun’ remark by the President tells me there was never a clear strategy for this war," Kelly said on the US social media company X’s platform.

His remarks came after Hegseth told reporters last week that the US will keep pressing on Iran.

"We will keep pushing, keep advancing. No quarter, no mercy for our enemies," he said.

According to legal experts, Hegseth’s pledge of “no quarter" appears to violate a clear prohibition under international humanitarian law which classifies declaring “no quarter will be given” as a potential war crime comparable to attacking wounded combatants or those attempting to surrender.

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

A total of 13 US service members have also been killed and about 200 others have been injured since the operation began.

Kelly said the administration appears to be improvising its objectives as the conflict unfolds.

"And at this point, three weeks in, they are just making up objectives as they stumble along all while our troops are put at risk and Americans are paying for it at the pump," he said.

In a separate post, Kelly said he sent a letter to Hegseth asking him to explain exactly what he meant when he said “no quarter."

The senator said this phrase has a "well-established" meaning in the law of armed conflict.

"Historically, and legally, it refers to a declaration by a military commander that no enemy combatants can be taken prisoner — that is, that they are to be killed rather than permitted to surrender.

"Such a declaration is expressly prohibited under international law, including the Geneva and Hague Conventions, and would be a war crime punishable under the War Crimes Act of 1996," he said.

He said the Department of Defense Law of War Manual adopts international law, including Article 23 of the Hague (IV) Regulations, stating it is "forbidden to declare that no quarter will be given."