SINGAPORE: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday that the United States has sufficient weapons stockpiles and remains fully capable of resuming military action against Iran if necessary.
Speaking at Asia’s premier defence summit in Singapore, Hegseth said Washington was prepared for any future escalation despite recent diplomatic efforts surrounding the conflict.
“Our ability to recommence if necessary is (that) we are more than capable, our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe because of how we balance exquisite and more plentiful munitions,” Hegseth said.
The Pentagon chief’s remarks come amid continued uncertainty over negotiations involving Washington and Tehran following weeks of heightened tensions and military confrontation in the Middle East.
Earlier on Friday, US President Donald Trump met top aides to make a “final determination” on a framework for extending a ceasefire with Iran, but the White House talks concluded without clarity on the next steps, and Tehran insisted no final deal had been reached.
Friday’s meeting was held in the White House Situation Room, a facility used to manage major national security and foreign policy crises.
Ahead of the meeting, Trump said he was looking to make a “final determination.” A senior administration official later said the roughly two-hour meeting with national security aides had concluded without a decision.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump would only approve an agreement that meets his key conditions and prevents Iran from advancing its nuclear programme.
An Iranian state media report also rebutted several key elements of Trump’s characterisation of the deal, with sources calling his remarks a “mixture of truth and lies.”
US sources had told AFP the deal was waiting on Trump’s sign-off following weeks of halting negotiations over a conflict that has engulfed the Middle East and shaken the global economy.
“President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines,” a White House official told AFP.
“Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,” the official added.
Trump had announced the meeting in a lengthy social media post, reiterating long-held demands that Iran agree never to develop nuclear weapons and reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei pushed back, telling state media that the Islamic Republic “said goodbye to the language of ‘must’ 47 years ago.”
Exchanges of messages were continuing, he added, but “no final agreement has been reached yet.”
