STORY: :: Singapore / May 30, 2026
HEGSETH: “Right now, we’re focused on being postured and prepared to reengage if we have to…”
:: U.S. Central Command / Released April 28, 2026
The U.S. is prepared to restart attacks on Iran if a deal cannot be reached Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday.
:: Archive
That’s as negotiators from Washington and Tehran worked to bridge the major differences blocking an agreement.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier forum for defense leaders, Hegseth said the U.S. has not turned its back on the Asia Pacific region despite being engaged in war with Iran.
“We’re gonna be strong, but we can speak softly while carrying that big stick and be very clear about the fact that there are places where we can work together with China…”
The Pentagon chief said President Donald Trump was “patient” and wants to make a “great deal” ensuring Iran does not get a nuclear weapon.
:: DVIDS / April 24, 2026
Trump said on Friday that he would meet in a secure White House room to make a “final determination” on the proposal, which would extend an early-April truce for another 60 days.
A White House official said the meeting in the Situation Room lasted about two hours, but did not address whether Trump had made a decision.
A senior Iranian source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters an agreement was close but had not yet been approved, and that the potential deal does not include any nuclear-related issues.
:: Israeli Military Handout / Released February 28, 2026
The war launched by the U.S. and Israel on February 28 has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon…
:: Hormozgan Province, Iran / May 21, 2026
including a strike on a girls’ school that killed more than 175 children and teachers, Iranian officials say.
The war has also caused global economic pain by pushing up energy prices due to Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump is under pressure to reopen the strait and get U.S. gas prices down ahead of the November congressional elections, as voters show increasing frustration over rising prices.
