US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth asserted that the US military is ready to restart combat against Iran if no ceasefire deal is reached, during a briefing regarding Iran on Thursday.
"While you are digging out bombed-out and devastated facilities, we are only getting stronger," Hegeth said.
Hegseth stated that he had a message for the Iranian leadership: "We are watching you. Your capabilities are not the same as ours. Remember, this is not a fair fight."
He added that, at the direction of US President Donald Trump, the US will never allow Iran to develop or acquire nuclear weapons.
“We’d prefer to do it the nice way through a deal led by our vice president and negotiating team,” Hegseth said, “or we can do it the hard way. We urge this new regime to choose wisely.”
“If Iran chooses poorly, then they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power, and energy,” he threatened.
US CENTCOM, Joint Chiefs of Staff head address Hormuz blockade, military operations
Hegseth was joined by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, and US Central Command (CENTCOM) head Adm. Brad Cooper.
Caine emphasized that the US military's efforts have set the conditions for the current temporary ceasefire, allowing negotiations to proceed.
He additionally reaffirmed that American forces “remain postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment’s notice,” depending on how the talks go.
Caine spoke on the US blockade of Iran’s coastline and ships seeking to enter or leave Iran’s ports, clarifying that it is not a blockade of the entire Strait of Hormuz.
"(We) will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran," said Caine.
Cooper, having just returned from a trip to the front lines, addressed the current status of US forces in the region.
“My personal assessment is that… our troops are highly motivated, they're focused, they're vigilant, and they're ready,” the CENTCOM head stated.
“We're rearming. We're retooling, and we're adjusting our tactics, techniques, and procedures. There's no military in the world that adjusts as we do, and that's exactly what we're doing right now during the ceasefire.”
Cooper also extended gratitude to the US’s regional partners, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan, who he described as “exceptional teammates.”
There was no better teammate than Israel, Cooper asserted. Through US-Israeli military cooperation, America “exceeded our own military objectives over and over again,” he added.
Cooper stated that he had met with Israel’s chief of defense twice within the past two weeks in order to ensure both countries “remain closely aligned.”
“Twice in the past two weeks, I've met with the Israeli chief of defense to ensure that we remain closely aligned, and we do," he concluded.