India, July 10 -- Amidst the ongoing war between the US and Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth embarked on a Navy ship for what was intended to be a standard visit with sailors.

However, the visit was overshadowed by the presence of facial hair: Hegseth observed several sailors with beards, seemingly breaching a more stringent policy he had implemented last year that limits beards in most cases, CNN reported, citing defense official and emails that referenced the defense secretary's calls for action to be taken.

Hegseth departed the ship contemplating whether the personnel at the Pentagon were attentive to his beard policy and the various policy modifications he has implemented within the workforce, according to a CNN report.

After h...