The United States warned on Saturday it was “more than capable” of resuming war with Iran after President Donald Trump said any peace deal must adhere to his red lines, including Tehran never being able to develop nuclear weapons.
The White House had signalled Trump was close to a decision on an initial deal after weeks of mixed signals in tenuous negotiations, though Tehran denied there was a final agreement on ending the Middle East conflict that has jolted the global economy.
The warning came directly from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking at a major defence summit in Asia on Saturday. “We are more than capable, our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe because of how we balance exquisite and more plentiful munitions,” he said.
The US Central Command also echoed this stance, stating that US forces “remain present and vigilant across the region.”
Trump’s priorities in any deal included Iran agreeing to never develop nuclear weapons and the reopening of the blockaded Strait of Hormuz maritime route. “President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines,” a White House official said after the meeting. “Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,” the official added.
NBC News reported that US sources had told AFP the deal was waiting on Trump’s sign-off, but the president had made no decision after a two-hour meeting in the White House Situation Room on Friday.
Iran pushed back firmly.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told state media that the Islamic Republic “said goodbye to the language of ‘must’ 47 years ago,” adding that exchanges of messages were continuing but “no final agreement has been reached yet.”
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf was equally defiant, writing on X: “We do not gain concessions through talks, but through missiles.” Both Iran and the US have accused each other of violating the ceasefire since it went into effect roughly seven weeks ago.