US ‘more than capable’ of resuming war against Iran, Pete Hegseth says
Hegseth said the US could restart fighting with Iran if needed, even as Trump weighed a possible deal and diplomacy remained unsettled.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
The Pentagon chief used a Singapore defense summit to warn that the US can resume war with Iran if talks fail, while also saying Washington still wants a stable balance in Asia and no needless conflict with China.
An American defense leader said the United States could start fighting Iran again if talks break down. That is like keeping a fire extinguisher ready while also trying not to start a new fire.
The problem is that the peace talks are still shaky. One side says a deal may be close, but the other side says nothing final has been agreed.
He also talked about China at the same meeting, warning that its military is growing. So the story is about two big tensions at once: a fight in the Middle East and competition in Asia.
Analysis
Iran talks stay unsettled
Pete Hegseth told the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore that the US is “more than capable” of resuming war with Iran if needed. He said American stockpiles and force posture would allow Washington to restart hostilities, echoing Central Command’s message that US forces remain present and vigilant across the region.
The remarks landed while Donald Trump was still weighing whether to endorse an initial deal after days of mixed signals. The article says the White House had suggested a decision was close, but Tehran denied that a final agreement had been reached to end the Middle East conflict. That leaves diplomacy in a fragile state rather than a finished settlement.
Wider regional fallout
The piece says the negotiations were complicated by US strikes on Bandar Abbas and Iranian retaliation, while separate diplomacy continued over Lebanon. Israel also remains part of the picture, with the article noting Israeli military movement there and parallel talks involving military delegations in Washington.
China also in focus
Hegseth used the same speech to warn about China’s military buildup, saying there was “rightful alarm” but that the US did not seek confrontation. He framed Washington’s goal as a stable regional balance, and said any future Taiwan arms sales would still be up to the president. The article contrasts that tone with Hegseth’s more confrontational China remarks from the previous year and notes Beijing again sent lower-level representatives instead of its defense minister.
Key points
- Hegseth said the US is capable of resuming war with Iran if necessary.
- Trump was still weighing a possible deal, but Iran said no final agreement had been reached.
- The article says US strikes and Iranian retaliation added to the instability around the talks.
- Hegseth also warned about China’s military buildup while saying the US wants a stable regional balance.
- The summit in Singapore brought together defense officials from many countries and doubled as a diplomacy venue.
