Hegseth Says U.S. Will 'Negotiate With Bombs' Until Iran Cease-Fire Deal Is Reached
Quick Insights
The Bottom Line
Defense Secretary Hegseth says U.S. will continue bombing Iran until it halts ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
How This Affects You
Continued military operations risk fuel price spikes at pumps; Iran supplies oil to global markets and controls strategic shipping routes affecting U.S. energy costs.
AI Summary
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday the U.S. will continue bombing Iran until it agrees to halt its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs, claiming Iran's defense industrial base is "nearly completely destroyed" after 11,000 targets have been struck since bombardments began February 28. Hegseth met Monday with Trump's Iran negotiating team—envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio—and said talks with Iranian officials "are very real" despite Tehran's public denials of negotiations. The Trump administration has deployed thousands of U.S. Marines and 82nd Airborne troops near Iran specifically to pressure Tehran at the negotiating table, with Hegseth saying the deployment's unpredictability gives the U.S. multiple military options. Trump separately warned allied nations they should independently defend shipping in the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian threats and threatened to withdraw U.S. support, saying nations refusing to fight "should just go" and "take" oil if concerned about shortages.
What's Being Done
Trump administration is conducting negotiations with Iran through envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio; U.S. troops deployed near Iran for pressure.
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National SecurityAt Pentagon Christian service, Hegseth prays for violence 'against those who deserve no mercy'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has hosted a monthly Christian prayer and worship service at the Pentagon, the first since the Iran war began.
PoliticsHegseth prays at Pentagon service for ‘overwhelming violence’ against enemies
<p>Remarks come after defense secretary calls for changes to military’s chaplain corps, which had been ‘watered down’</p><p>The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, prayed during a religious service at the Pentagon that there be “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy”.</p><p>The Christian worship service, held on Wednesday before military and civilian workers at the Pentagon, was Hegseth’s first since the Iran war began, the Associated Press reported.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/26/hegseth-prayer-violence-pentagon">Continue reading...</a>
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