Minister Hegseth: The US priority is to find an agreement with Iran

“We have a mission to force Iran to realize that it would be better if they accepted compromise. We are dedicating our efforts to the campaign, but the focus of our efforts is still on finding an agreement,” US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said at a press conference at the Pentagon today.

He added that Washington wants to reach a viable agreement with Tehran, but is still ready to continue its campaign against Iran if all negotiation efforts fail. The US Secretary of Defense emphasized the conclusion “whether military goals in Iran have been completed or not” and the negotiation deadline will be decided by President Donald Trump “based on the interests of the American people”.

Pentagon leaders assess that the negotiations to end the conflict are substantive, positive and progressing, but do not rule out the possibility of the conflict lasting for many more weeks. He commented that the coming days will be decisive for the conflict.

Mr. Hegseth refused to confirm or deny the possibility of the US deploying ground troops to Iran, saying the Pentagon needed to maintain an element of unpredictability in its strategy. “It is impossible to fight and win if you tell the enemy what you will or will not do, including sending infantry into battle,” he said.

The US Secretary of Defense announced that the country conducted about 200 “flexible attacks” in Iran on the night of March 30, in which pilots were informed of new targets right on the journey. The city of Isfahan in central Iran is also on the target list. One of the air strikes was recorded, then shared by President Trump on social networks.

Huge explosion in Iran, suspected ammunition depot was hit by a US tunnel bomb

Also at the press conference, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine said Washington has many military options in the conflict. He noted that strengthening the force presence in the Middle East not only opens up ground combat capabilities but can also create strategic pressure.

General Caine said the US military has attacked more than 11,000 targets since the outbreak of hostilities, focusing on destroying Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, drones and logistics chains. Washington also continues to target Tehran’s navy and mine-laying capabilities.

On March 30, Tehran rejected President Trump’s statement that the two sides were negotiating and that Iranian officials had accepted most of the content in the 15-point plan that the US sent through Pakistan.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei affirmed that “there have been no negotiations with the US” in the past month. He emphasized that Iran is focusing all its resources to defend against US military activities, and declared that Tehran has not forgotten its previous failed negotiation efforts with Washington.

President Donald Trump on March 31 announced that countries facing fuel shortages should “go get their own oil” in the Strait of Hormuz, affirming that the US will not support because Iran has been significantly weakened and the most difficult part of the campaign is over.