This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has once again warned Tehran that the Pentagon is “more than prepared” to take action if Iran refuses to negotiate over its nuclear program.
“The President’s been clear from the beginning, as he was before Midnight Hammer. Iran will not have nuclear weapons capability. And so they can either negotiate on that front, or we have other options,” Hegseth said on February 2, speaking to reporters on a trip to Florida.
Stressing that military action is not the preferred option, the defense secretary added: “[US President Donald Trump] doesn’t want to go that route, I don’t want to go that route, but our job is to be prepared, and so of course we are, we’re more than prepared.”
Hegseth also said Iran “has a choice” about negotiating.
While speaking to reporters at the White House on February 2, Trump told reporters that Iran was “seriously talking” to the United States.
The president also said the US was keeping the pressure on Tehran.
“We have ships heading to Iran right now, big ones…and we have talks going on with Iran,” Trump said. “We’ll see how it all works out.”
