Legal experts have argued that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's pledge of "no quarter, no mercy for our enemies" violates a strict international law of war. International humanitarian law prohibits declaring "no quarters" or threatening to fight on this basis, a practice considered a war crime on par with targeting fighters who are wounded or attempting to surrender. New York University law professor Ryan Goodman said that the defense secretary is putting the American military on a "path to lawlessness," which could lead to more allies being lost. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to the legal experts' statements. This comes amid increasing aggressive rhetoric from the Trump administration regarding enemies and battlefield conduct.