Pentagon chief says any Iran deal will be a good deal
Photo: Pete Hegseth (Getty Images)
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that at this point, any deal with Iran would be a good deal, reports CNN.
According to Hegseth, US President Donald Trump is showing patience to ensure that any peace agreement with Iran guarantees that the country does not acquire nuclear weapons.
"I had a chance to talk to President Trump this morning. He wanted me to reiterate how patient he is in ensuring that with America undertaking this kind of historic endeavor, any deal will be a good one, a great one, and he’s patient in the pursuit of that," he said at an international forum in Singapore.
The Pentagon chief added that if Iran does not want to reach a favorable deal that guarantees the country will not possess nuclear weapons, then Tehran can "deal with" the US military.
Later, when a reporter asked Hegseth about his remark that "any deal will be a good deal," he replied:
"I love the disingenuous questions from the disingenuous press. I said it will be a good deal," the US secretary said.
He noted that if the appropriate order is given, US troops are ready to resume combat operations. According to him, weapons stockpiles are sufficient for that mission.
Hegseth's comment came less than 12 hours after Trump met with advisers in the White House Situation Room. CNN sources say that during that meeting, the president was expected to make a final decision on whether to proceed with a deal with Iran. However, after two hours of talks and many hours since then, Trump has still made no official statement.
Peace deal between the US and Iran
A few days ago, Trump said that an unfavorable deal for America would be the point at which the United States would have to resume attacks on Iran.
At roughly the same time, media reports indicated that the parties had allegedly agreed on a framework deal providing for a 60-day extension of the ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and negotiations on Iran's nuclear program in order to finalize a comprehensive agreement within those two months.
The only nuance is that the deal now requires Trump's approval, but it remains unknown whether he has given it. Yesterday, he again issued a four-point ultimatum to Iran, stating that the reopening of the strait would only be possible if Iran abandons its nuclear ambitions.
