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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told reporters on Thursday that there is a big difference between the newly signed preliminary deal with Iran and the previous Obama-era deal.
“One key difference between this agreement and others is this was born of strength, of American action,” Hegseth said. “JCPOA came from a bunch of begging and talking – this agreement came after months of bombing and a blockade that was impenetrable. Iran was put in a position where they had to come to the table and undertake this.”
The secretary was traveling on Thursday in Brussels, Belgium, where he delivered a speech at the 2026 NATO Defense Ministerial.
Just this week, President Donald Trump announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran, which will allow the U.S. and the Islamic Republic of Iran to hammer out the finer details of a long-term agreement over the next 60 days.
“What President Trump has been clear about from the beginning and the War Department has been clear about is, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Hegseth told reporters.
He continued, “Full stop, [they] cannot have a nuclear weapon. Everybody knows it, and so our military actions and any negotiations will be centered on that. And the president has pointed out that he will be prepared to recommence, if underneath the timeline of these talks, Iran does not do what it says it’s gonna do…then the War Department is here and prepared to restart if we need to.”
Hegseth described the War Department as the “big stick behind the negotiations that never existed under President Obama – it just didn’t. It was a paper tiger, hoping that they agree.”
He said that the United States’ posture was “one of strength,” and noted that Iran would have “every opportunity to cut the kind of deal they should at the table – and if they don’t, the War Department will be right here, ready to go.”
