Pete Hegseth is threatening military action if Iran doesn’t comply with Donald Trump’s demands.
The defense secretary claimed on Fox News this weekend that if negotiations between the two countries over nuclear weapons fall through, his department will step in.
“He’s dead serious that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Hegseth said on the channel, referring to Trump’s demands. “He’s dead serious that he wants it done at the negotiating table, he wants it done peacefully, and that’s why he’s going straight to these talks, he’s set that deadline.”
However, the United States is prepared to use its military if Iran isn’t willing to comply.
“If we can’t figure this out at the negotiating table then there are other options to include my department to ensure that Iran never has a nuclear bomb,” Hegseth said, hinting at the chance of military action toward the country. “We hope we never get there, but what we’re doing with the Houthis and what we’re doing in the region, we’ve shown a capability to go far, to go deep, and to go big.”
So far, the United States has launched airstrikes at the Houthis, a U.S.-designated terrorist group.
Americans had a front-row seat into the conversations between top U.S. officials during a series of missile strikes on the group in Yemen after National Security Adviser Mike Waltz accidentally added a journalist into a seemingly classified Signal chat between Trump’s top military advisers and officials.
Hegseth doubled down on the fact that he hopes negotiations will work out—but gave a warning if things go South.
“We don’t want to do that,” Hegseth continued, “but if we have to, we will to prevent the nuclear bomb in Iran’s hands.”
Trump has said that the country cannot have nuclear weaponry, claiming abroad Air Force One on Friday that he wants Iran to be a “wonderful, great, happy country.”
“But they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he affirmed.
“He’s said that for 20 years,” Hegseth said of the president. “He’s been consistent, that is clear.”
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