An email from 2011 shows that American billionaire Tom Pritzker described a trip to Afghanistan to financier Jeffrey Epstein, including a meeting with then–U.S. commander general David Petraeus.

In the message, Pritzker wrote that during his visit he had spent time with Petraeus, who at the time commanded U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan during the height of the war. Pritzker said the general had lent him two helicopters for travel during the trip.

“I am in a remote valley of Afghanistan (it’s my birthday wish) with Boys with Toys. Spent time w(ith) Patraeus yesterday and he loaned me a chopper (actually two with one as a back up). Can’t call till tomorrow,” the email read.

The correspondence surfaced among documents showing that Pritzker and Epstein had exchanged emails over several years regarding travel plans, meetings, and events. The revelations drew renewed attention due to Epstein’s criminal history and the scrutiny surrounding individuals who maintained contact with him.

Epstein, a wealthy financier with extensive connections in business and politics, faced multiple accusations of sexually abusing underage girls.

He was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges but was later found dead in a New York jail cell that August in what authorities ruled a suicide.

The emails emerged as part of broader disclosures involving Epstein’s network of associates.

Following the public release of the correspondence, Pritzker stepped down as executive chairman of the board of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, a major global hotel chain controlled by the influential Pritzker family.

At the time of the email exchange in 2011, Afghanistan was still the center of a large international military operation led by the NATO and the United States Armed Forces.

General Petraeus was overseeing counterinsurgency operations against the Taliban while also managing relations with Afghan authorities and coalition partners.

The disclosure has raised questions in media and policy circles about the nature of high-profile civilian visits to conflict zones and the broader network of relationships surrounding Epstein prior to his arrest and death.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the ongoing conflict with Iran is intended to decisively weaken the enemy, stressing that the United States does not want to repeat the mistakes made during long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Speaking in an interview with CBS News, Hegseth reflected on his generation’s involvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, describing them as lengthy conflicts where “a lot of foolish approaches were used.” He suggested that those experiences shaped how the current conflict is being approached.

According to the defense secretary, the present strategy is focused on decisive pressure against the adversary. “This is war, this is conflict,” Hegseth said, adding that the objective is “bringing your enemy to their knees.”

He also noted that whether Iran would formally surrender is uncertain. Hegseth said it would be up to Tehran to decide whether there would be a symbolic surrender ceremony.

“Whether they will have a ceremony in Tehran Square and surrender—that’s up to them,” he said.

His comments come as tensions continue to rise across the region amid escalating military exchanges involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.