US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has delivered one of the clearest signals yet of Washington’s approach to the ongoing war with Iran, saying: “We negotiate with bombs,” even as the White House insists diplomatic pathways remain open.
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Speaking as US and Israeli strikes continue across Iranian territory, Hegseth framed the military campaign as both decisive and historic. “Iran had a modern military, a modern navy, a modern air force, modern air defenses, leadership, massive bunker. Never has a modern military been so rapidly and historically obliterated, defeated from day one with overwhelming firepower,” he said. “The air campaign that we've conducted, that Israel has conducted alongside us, was one for the history books, truly.”
US President Donald Trump has suggested progress is being made, but Tehran has denied any talks, even as intermediaries including Pakistan and Egypt attempt to open channels.
Hegseth, however, made clear that military pressure is central to any outcome. “That's why we see ourselves as part of this negotiation as well. We negotiate with bombs. You have a choice. As we loiter over the top of Tehran, as the President talked about your future, the President has made it clear that you will not have a nuclear weapon.”
He linked the intensity of the campaign directly to Trump’s leadership, saying: “We have a President of the United States that when he sends his war fighters out to fight, he unties their hands to actually go out and close with and destroy the enemy as viciously as possible from moment one.”
While US officials have quietly floated a 15-point framework to Iran through intermediaries, the situation on the ground continues to escalate. Fresh barrages have been reported across the region, and additional US troops, including Marines and airborne units, are being deployed to the Gulf.
Hegseth dismissed comparisons with past conflicts. “This is not Iraq and Afghanistan. This is not a President who's interested in vague end states. He's been very clear with us about what we need to accomplish, creating the conditions for them never to have a nuclear capability.”
He added that operations would continue without pause. “The War Department agrees our job is to ensure that. And so we're keeping our hand on that throttle as long as hard as is necessary to ensure the interests of the United States of America are achieved on that battlefield.”
