"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—that's why the War Department exists," Hegseth told reporters after his speech at the Blue Origin facility in Florida, referring to Trump's bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities over the summer.
"He 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," the Pentagon chief said. "President Trump's committed to peace, committed to a deal if Iran's serious about making a deal, and we'll see. It's up to Iran."
Hegseth's remarks come as the U.S. has established a substantial military presence near Iran in recent weeks, fortified with the recent arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group in the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) area, along with the arrival of additional fighter jets and cargo planes to the region.
Trump has repeatedly warned that he could authorize strikes on Iran if negotiations with Tehran fail, as the two sides appear far apart over Iran's ballistic-missile and nuclear-enrichment programs.
"We have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there, very close, couple of days," the president said to reporters on Sunday. "Hopefully, we make a deal."
On Friday, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi to resume nuclear talks in Istanbul, Turkey as the region remains on high alert.
The huddle would mark the first meeting between Iranian and U.S. officials since talks over Tehran's nuclear program fell through last year.
Asked on Monday if regime change in Iran is a possibility, Hegseth demurred, arguing the Pentagon is ready to act if asked.
Read the full report at thehill.com.
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