Hours after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth issued a series of strong statements, asserting that the American leadership had gained a clear upper hand in the conflict. His comments came amid intense global scrutiny following the sudden halt in hostilities announced by US President Donald Trump. Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth said President Trump had taken an unprecedented step during a moment of extreme crisis. "President Trump's decisions in the last few hours before the ceasefire 'created history' and changed the course of the war," Hegseth added.
'Iran's destiny is in our hands'
In one of his most assertive remarks, the US Secretary of War declared that "Iran's destiny is in our hands," signalling that Washington continues to hold strategic and military leverage despite agreeing to pause operations. He claimed that the US had already secured a critical battlefield advantage before the truce. "US forces had achieved a decisive military victory which gave the administration the confidence to negotiate from a position of strength," he added.
'Iran will never possess nuclear weapons'
Reiterating Washington's firm stance, Hegseth claimed that Iran will never possess nuclear weapons. He added that the ceasefire terms were aligned with long-standing US security objectives. Hegseth further stated that economic and military options were available to crush Iran completely. "President Trump could have crushed Iran's economy but instead chose restraint. He showed mercy by opting for diplomatic engagement through the ceasefire window," the US war secretary remarked.
US warns of new strike
Hegseth further said the US could strike again if Iran does not hand over enriched uranium. The Pentagon chief did not offer any details about whether Iran had agreed to Trump's statement that the US would work with them to "dig up" the buried material. However, Hegseth said Iran will "give it to us voluntarily," or the US might do "something like" its strikes last summer with Israel hitting Iran's nuclear sites. "We reserve that opportunity", Hegseth added.
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