War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Saturday that President Donald Trump remains laser-focused on securing what he described as a great deal with Iran, even as he warned that Tehran could face renewed U.
S. military action if negotiations fail.
They can either do this now through a deal, and we think were in a good place to make that deal, or they can deal with the War Department, Hegseth told reporters in Singapore during a press availability following the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit.
According to Breitbart, Hegseth emphasized that the administration views the current diplomatic track as an opportunity for Iran to avoid a far more punishing outcome should it continue to defy U.S. demands.
We are prepared were postured even stronger today than we were on day one to address it that way if we have to, but hed prefer not to, Hegseth added, referring to Trumps preference for a diplomatic resolution.
His comments underscored a familiar Trump-era doctrine: peace is on the table, but only from a position of unmistakable American strength and a willingness to use force if necessary.
The remarks came one day after President Trump convened a roughly two-hour Situation Room meeting with senior advisers regarding a proposed framework agreement with Iran that would reportedly extend the fragile ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and establish a 60-day negotiating window for additional talks over Tehrans nuclear program and other unresolved disputes.
The extended session signaled that the White House is weighing not only the immediate security implications but also the long-term strategic consequences of any accord with the Islamic Republic.
Despite Trump stating beforehand that he would make a final determination regarding a possible agreement, no formal decision was announced following Fridays meeting.
White House officials later stressed that Trump would only support a deal that satisfies his red lines, including permanently preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Speaking before departing Singapore, Hegseth repeatedly stressed that Trump remains committed to diplomacy but only if Tehran agrees to terms Washington considers enforceable and lasting.
The administrations stance reflects a sharp break from the Obama-era approach, which conservatives long criticized as weak, unverifiable, and dangerously permissive of Irans nuclear ambitions.
Any deal that the president is willing to make, hes only going to make it if he believes its a great deal for our country and the security of the world, Hegseth said.
And only one president was willing to lay it out on the line and ensure after 47 years that Iran is not capable of having a nuclear weapon, he continued, adding that Trumps goalposts havent shifted at all.
Hegseth also suggested the administration believes Tehran is moving closer to Washingtons demands even as the United States continues maintaining its military and economic pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic.
By keeping sanctions tight and military assets on alert, the White House appears determined to prove that maximum pressure, not appeasement, is what brings a hostile regime to the table.
Iran knows very, very clearly what our expectations are, and thats on the negotiating team to deliver, Hegseth said.
Theyre coming in our direction. The talks have been productive. I think they know where it needs to go.
The Pentagon chief separately stressed the United States retains overwhelming military capability should negotiations collapse.
Our ability to recommence if necessary is that we are more than capable, Hegseth said, adding U.S. stockpiles are more than suited for renewed operations both in the Middle East and globally.
The remarks came as tensions remained elevated around the Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing negotiations.
Omans Maritime Security Centre issued a warning Saturday after a suspected floating naval mine was detected in the strategic waterway, urging vessels to exercise utmost caution.
The alert came after CENTCOM warned vessels involved in mine-laying activity in and around the Strait of Hormuz could face U.S. military action amid ongoing efforts to secure and maintain safe maritime transit through the strategic waterway.
Such warnings highlight the stakes for global commerce, as any disruption in this chokepoint threatens energy markets and underscores why Washington insists on free navigation.
Iranian lawmakers meanwhile reportedly discussed legislation aimed at formalizing Tehrans sovereignty claims over the critical shipping corridor a position directly at odds with the Trump administrations insistence that the waterway remain open to unrestricted global shipping.
Tehrans push to assert control over the strait reflects a broader strategy of using vital trade routes as leverage, a tactic Western officials view as economic blackmail.
Hegseth also clarified Saturday that the U.S. naval blockade tied to the conflict remains active while negotiations over reopening the Strait continue.
The blockade is very much still in place, Hegseth said, later adding that the Strait would ultimately become an open strait, a toll-free strait that the entire world can use.
President Trump made clear once again Friday that any final agreement with Tehran must include the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted global shipping, the removal of remaining Iranian naval mines, and a permanent end to the Islamic Republics nuclear weapons ambitions.
Iran must agree that they will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb, Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social.
Iranian officials, however, continued publicly pushing back against the administrations characterization of the negotiations while signaling skepticism toward Washingtons demands.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Friday that Tehran remains focused on the end of the war and is not discussing the details of the nuclear plan at this point.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf likewise rejected U.S. guarantees, warning that Tehran has no trust in guarantees or words only actions are the measure.
As Washington insists on verifiable, permanent constraints and Tehran clings to distrust and delay, the talks now hinge on whether Iran will finally accept that the era of lenient Western concessions has ended under Trumps more hard-edged, America-first approach.
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