Singapore, Singapore. The United States is prepared to resume strikes on Iran if negotiations fail to produce a deal, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday as negotiators from both sides worked to bridge deep differences.
Strike option remains open
Hegseth said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that the US was capable of resuming strikes if necessary. He said US stockpiles were sufficient both in the region and globally.
Hegseth said President Donald Trump was “patient” and seeking a “great deal” that would ensure Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon. On Friday, Trump said he would meet advisers in a secure White House setting to make a “final determination” on a proposal that would extend the early-April ceasefire by another 60 days and give negotiators more time to work toward a permanent end to the conflict.
US focus on Asia-Pacific
The defence secretary also rejected suggestions that the Iran conflict had shifted US attention away from the Asia-Pacific. He said the US was able to handle more than one issue at the same time and was increasing production across its defence industrial base.
“We’re super-charging our defence industrial base so that we’re building two, three, four times the munitions very soon to ensure that all of our plans are properly funded throughout the world,” he said.
Conflict and wider impact
The war, launched by the US and Israel on 28 February, has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon. It has also pushed up global energy prices after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz.
