‘We’d prefer to do it the nice way through a deal led by our great vice president and negotiating team. Or we can do it the hard way,’ Hegseth said.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on April 16 urged Iran’s leadership to reach a deal with the United States, warning that a military operation against the country could be restarted quickly and that Iran’s power plants would be struck.
He said the U.S. government will ensure Iran never has a nuclear weapon, which Trump administration officials say was a primary reason for launching strikes against the country in late February. Iran has long denied it wants to obtain a nuclear weapon and insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.
“We’d prefer to do it the nice way through a deal led by our great vice president and negotiating team. Or we can do it the hard way,” Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon alongside the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine.
Hegseth called on Tehran to “choose wisely” in dealings with the United States.
“I pray you choose a deal, which is within your grasp for the betterment of your people and for the betterment of the world,” Hegseth added.
The U.S. military has kept up a naval blockade on Iran’s ports since April 13 in a bid to place economic pressure on the country’s leadership.
“We are reloading with more power than ever before, and better intelligence,” Hegseth said. “We are locked and loaded on your critical dual-use infrastructure, on your remaining power generation, and on your energy industry. We’d rather not have to do it.”
The U.S. Treasury Department issued new sanctions on April 15, targeting Iranian assets, including an oil shipping network, in a bid to force Tehran’s hand in negotiations.
Hegseth warned Iran that the U.S. military is only using a small portion of its total power to enforce the blockade, which U.S. Central Command said includes Iran’s Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman ports.
“The math is clear. We’re using 10 percent of the world’s most powerful navy, and you have zero percent of your navy,” Hegseth said.
