JULY 3, 2025 – Argentina and the United States will continue to build on their more than 200-year relationship, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who hosted an enhanced honor cordon and meeting today, welcoming Argentine Defense Minister Luis Petri to the Pentagon.
Hegseth said China poses a threat to the U.S., Argentina and the region, adding that, “Regional peace demands the utmost will and tenacity, and I think we can face these shared security challenges together, and I know we will.”
The defense secretary applauded Argentina’s efforts to bolster its defense relationship with the United States, noting its decision to acquire U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcon, as well as Stryker fighting vehicles.
The two leaders traded some military history events between the nations.
In 1811, during the Argentine War of Independence from Spanish colonial rule, rebel government representatives in the United States purchased 1,000 muskets and bayonets to support their cause, Hegseth said, and during the Gulf War, Argentina supplied two warships to coalition forces.
Petri stated that during the 1879 Conquest of the Desert campaign to expand its territory into Patagonia, Argentina purchased 10,000 rifles from the United States, which significantly aided its war effort.
Referencing the June 21, 2025, U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear sites, Petri said it increased world peace, adding, “We are very much committed to the fight that the United States has taken on against international terrorism.”
The defense minister said that the bonds between Argentina and the United States will become stronger.
“Our relationship is at its best point, and our partnership will continue to grow in all areas of government, but fundamentally in defense,” Petri said.
By David Vergun, DOD News