US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday evening that when the siege on Iran is fully lifted, the US will allow trade to flow — but if Iran fails to comply, Washington can reimpose an 'iron siege.' He noted the US has long-held bases in the region, most of which will remain, and that troop levels will be adjusted as needed, according to a statement attributed to him.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expanded on the administration's Iran policy Thursday evening, stating that the lifting of the current siege regime will be followed by a return to normal trade — but that the US retains the ability to reimpose an 'iron siege' if Tehran fails to comply with its commitments.
This is Hegseth's second public statement on the matter within hours. As The Zioneer reported at 20:59, he earlier said the US would reimpose an iron siege if Iran fails to comply with a deal. Thursday's remarks add the detail that trade will resume when the siege is fully lifted, and specify that most existing US bases in the region will remain, with troop levels adjusted according to need.
The remarks come amid a week of escalating US-Iran exchanges, with Israeli officials also signaling readiness to strike if Iran targets Israel. The 'siege' framework — distinct from direct military strikes — appears to be Washington's core leverage mechanism in ongoing nuclear talks.
2 developments
- DevelopingHegseth says US will keep large forces in region, reinstate Iran siege if commitments unmet
- ConfirmedHegseth warns US will hit Iran hard on American terms
- DevelopingHegseth: If we have to negotiate through bombs, we'll negotiate through bombs
- StrongHegseth says US on track to sign deal with Iran, expects talks to continue
Source and signal
- Internal intake