US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the key difference is that the Trump administration negotiated from a 'position of strength,' but struggled to articulate how the emerging deal improves on the 2015 agreement, according to Israeli media reports.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to struggle during an interview to explain how the Trump administration's emerging nuclear deal with Iran is superior to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiated under President Barack Obama. Asked by a reporter to articulate the difference, Hegseth said the core distinction is that the current administration negotiated 'from a position of strength.' The remark echoes his earlier statements downplaying substantive differences between the two agreements, as The Zioneer reported Monday morning.
Hegseth's comments come amid accelerating negotiations toward a US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, with sources reporting progress toward a signing. Former President Obama weighed in over the weekend, stating that a new deal is unlikely to differ significantly from the original agreement. The administration's push has sparked debate in Washington and among allies, including Israel, whose officials have expressed wariness about the terms.
The remarks remain at the level of an olive statement, framed by Israeli media rather than by an on-the-record US official. The exact text of any emerging agreement has not been published, and Hegseth did not provide new details about its terms.
3 developments
- DevelopingHegseth sweats through TV interview, body language shows disdain for Trump's Iran deal
- DevelopingTrump administration conducts secret talks with Tehran on new nuclear deal
- DevelopingFormer President Barack Obama comments on emerging US-Iran deal
- DevelopingHegseth: If we have to negotiate through bombs, we'll negotiate through bombs
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