Hegseth Breaks Silence on Iran Deal, Citing U.S. Force Behind It

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke publicly for the first time about the agreement signed overnight with Iran. Hegseth, who throughout the conflict praised Israel and the military partnership with it, has been one of the main opponents of any deal with Tehran, alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In his remarks, Hegseth chose his words carefully and did not address the substance of the agreement. Instead, he focused on how it was reached and contrasted it with the Obama-era nuclear accord. “I say there is one key difference you have to emphasize between this deal and other agreements, it was born out of force, by American action,” he said.

He added, “The JCPOA came out of a lot of pleading and talking. This deal came after months of bombing and a tight blockade, and Iran was put in a position where they had to come to the negotiating table and do it.” His comments suggested dissatisfaction with the agreement, even though he stopped short of spelling out his objections.

The article notes that, like Rubio, Hegseth is maintaining strategic ambiguity and avoiding any direct discussion of the deal’s content, which he reportedly opposes behind the scenes.