Pete Hegseth claimed the US military is ‘locked and loaded’ to strike Iran, even as Donald Trump insists his administration is still pursuing a deal with the Islamic regime.
The Defense Secretary said US military remains at the ready to destroy the regime if they choose to not accept a deal with the US.
Hegseth warned Iranian’s senior leadership: ‘We are watching you.’
‘Remember, this is not a fair fight, and we know what military assets you are moving and where you are moving them to,’ Hegseth continued. ‘We are reloading with more power than ever before, and even more importantly, better intelligence than ever before. As you expose yourself with your movement to our watchful eye.’
Hegseth vowed the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would remain in place and warned it would be followed by further military strikes if Tehran failed to reach a deal with the U.S.
‘To Iran, choose wisely. 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 said. ‘In the meantime, the War Department is locked and loaded.’
Hegseth’s comments contradicts Trump’s claim on Wednesday that the strait is ‘permanently open’ after secret talks with Xi Jinping, claiming the Chinese leader had agreed to stop arming Iran.
After peace talks with the Islamic regime collapsed over the weekend, the President launched a naval blockade of Hormuz, a critical oil chokepoint through which one-fifth of the world’s supply flows.
