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US Ready to 'Go Deep and Go Big' If Nuclear Talks With Iran Fail, Defense Secretary Warns
4/14/2025
By
ERBIL –
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated Sunday that while Washington remains committed to a diplomatic path to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, the American military is fully prepared to act decisively if negotiations fail.
Speaking on CBS’ Face the Nation, Hegseth described initial indirect talks between U.S. and Iranian diplomats in Oman as “productive” and “a good step,” suggesting cautious optimism in resolving long-standing concerns about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. However, he made it clear that diplomacy has its limits.
“We’ve shown a capability to go far, deep and big,” Hegseth said. “Again, we don’t want to do that, but if we have to , we will to prevent the nuclear bomb in Iran’s hands.”
The comments came just a day after diplomats from Washington and Tehran initiated backchannel discussions in Muscat, signaling a renewed, albeit tentative, attempt to revive stalled nuclear diplomacy.
President Donald Trump, who withdrew the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, has taken a hardline stance since returning to the White House, emphasizing that military action remains “absolutely” on the table—particularly in partnership with Israel.
“If it requires military, we’re going to have military,” Trump told reporters earlier this week. “Israel will obviously be very much involved in that, be the leader of that.”
The Trump administration’s posture follows a blunt warning issued in late March, when the president declared, “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing.” The statement underscored growing alarm in Western capitals, where intelligence assessments suggest Iran could be just weeks away from developing a deliverable nuclear weapon. Tehran has consistently denied it seeks to build nuclear arms, insisting its program is for peaceful purposes.
The revival of talks in Oman comes at a critical juncture in Middle Eastern geopolitics, with regional tensions running high and the specter of a new conflict looming. While Washington maintains its preference for a peaceful resolution, officials have been increasingly vocal about the consequences of Iranian defiance.
“President Trump hopes to never have to resort to a military option,” Hegseth reiterated, “but we are not naïve about the stakes.”
As negotiations continue behind closed doors, observers say the coming weeks will be pivotal in determining whether U.S.-led diplomacy can succeed in preventing Iran’s dangerous nuclear ambitions—or whether Tehran’s defiance will push the region closer to a destabilizing conflict.
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