US bottom line: No deal, no restraint on Iran

Shafaq News/ The United States is prepared to carry out military strikes against Iran if ongoing diplomatic efforts fail to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday.

In an interview with CBS’s Face the Nation, Hegseth called the first round of indirect talks in Muscat “a good step,” but warned that Washington would act if diplomacy breaks down.

“President Trump hopes to never have to resort to a military option,” he said. “But if we have to, we will prevent the nuclear bomb in Iran’s hands.”

His comments follow a statement from Trump last week that military action was “absolutely” possible if talks in Oman do not succeed. “If it requires military, we’re going to have military,” he told reporters, adding that “Israel will obviously be very much involved in that, be the leader of that."

Tensions have escalated between Iran and the US since Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal during his first term, leading to waves of US sanctions and regional confrontations.

Western analysts believe Iran may be weeks away from enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels, though Tehran denies seeking to build a nuclear weapon.