Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned on Saturday that the United States stands fully prepared to resume military strikes against Iran if diplomatic negotiations fail to produce an agreement. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Asia’s foremost gathering of defence leaders and diplomats, Hegseth said American military stockpiles and capabilities remain more than adequate for renewed operations, both in the region and globally.
He pushed back against suggestions that Washington’s engagement in the Iran conflict had diverted attention from the Asia-Pacific, insisting the US could manage both fronts simultaneously. He added that the Pentagon was rapidly scaling up munitions production to ensure all operational plans worldwide remained properly resourced.
Hegseth described President Trump as patient but determined to secure a comprehensive deal that permanently blocks Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Trump indicated on Friday that he would personally review a proposal to extend the existing ceasefire by sixty days, buying negotiators additional time for a lasting settlement.
The conflict, launched jointly by the US and Israel on February 28, has claimed thousands of lives across Iran and Lebanon while severely disrupting global energy markets through Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
