Hegseth Issues Stark Ultimatum to Iran Over Nuclear Program
“Iran’s going to have a choice to make real quick about whether they’re going to give those up at the table or face the kind of devastation that America can bring and will bring swiftly if necessary,” Hegseth told Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets and military recruits at the University of Tennessee.
The Pentagon chief accused Tehran of amassing a large conventional missile arsenal as a shield against military action while it pursues “nuclear ambitions.” He argued that American military strength is essential to pushing adversaries to the negotiating table.
Hegseth also asserted that Iran “funds the proxies in Hezbollah, funds the proxies in the Houthis in Yemen,” and said Washington had worked to deter attacks on US forces and shipping.
He cast the approach to Iran as one piece of US President Donald Trump’s broader drive to reassert American power. That effort, he said, includes confronting drug cartels and curbing the influence of Iran, China and Russia in Latin America.
Turning to Venezuela, Hegseth said the US operation there would have “generational implications.” He described the country as a strategic partner and pointed to its oil resources.
Washington aims to push its rivals out of the Western Hemisphere, he said, while building up its military presence and partnerships across the Americas.
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