Hegseth Asserts Trump's Commitment to Halting Iran's Nuclear Ambitions

President Trump isn’t bluffing when it comes to Iran and its nuclear ambitions. According to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the president is “dead serious” about stopping Iran from developing a nuclear bomb and if peaceful negotiations fail, military force is ready and waiting.

In an interview Sunday on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Hegseth reaffirmed that Trump wants a diplomatic solution but made it clear that the U.S. won’t sit idly by while Iran marches toward nuclear capability.

“President Trump is dead serious that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. He’s said that for 20 years. He’s been consistent,” Hegseth said. “He wants it done at the negotiating table … but if we can’t figure this out there, then there are other options including my department.”

The first round of U.S.-Iran talks took place in Oman on Saturday, with U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff meeting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. While both sides described the talks as “constructive,” Hegseth stressed that the military is prepared to act swiftly if Iran continues its nuclear provocations.

Let’s not mince words:

• Iran has already blown past its enrichment limits, with uranium enriched to 60% dangerously close to weapons-grade, which is 90%.

• Their current stockpile is around 8,294 kilograms, vastly exceeding the 300-kilogram cap set by the disastrous 2015 Obama-era nuclear deal.

• The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed these violations, exposing the regime’s ongoing deception.

Trump called that 2015 deal “one-sided,” and he was right. It handed Iran billions in sanctions relief while doing next to nothing to permanently halt its nuclear ambitions. Under Biden, that same failed policy was dusted off and tried again with predictably pathetic results.

Now, Trump is back in charge, and he’s not playing games.

“This isn’t just about diplomacy,” Hegseth warned. “We’ve shown with the Houthis and throughout the region that we can go far, go deep, and go big. We hope we never get there, but if we have to, we will.”

While Iran’s regime tries to sell the image of mutual respect and diplomacy in state-run propaganda, the truth is that they’ve repeatedly violated international agreements and sponsored terrorism through proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis. This is a regime that cannot be trusted with anything, let alone a nuclear bomb.

President Trump has made clear that diplomacy is the first choice but not the only one. America’s enemies are watching, and unlike the weak-willed Biden administration, Trump is reminding the world that peace comes through strength.

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