US President Donald Trump has claimed that Israel and the wider Middle East would not exist if he had not stopped Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. His remarks came as his administration considers whether to restart military operations against Tehran and reviews a new Iranian proposal on its nuclear program.
Hegseth defends US military campaign
Tehran responded with strikes on Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military bases. Washington, however, has maintained that Iran’s nuclear programme must be part of any initial negotiations. The statement came amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, which began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28. In a video posted on X, Hegseth urged Congress to approve a reconciliation bill providing at least $350 billion for the military and the defence industrial base.
“I’d rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I will have to,” he said. Senior Iranian officials said Tehran had sent a new nuclear proposal to Washington through Qatar, according to Reuters. The US was reviewing the proposal, but Iran said further negotiations would depend on Washington meeting seven demands. Iran’s top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, said the country would not negotiate or reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions were met. He described it as a “courageous and historic effort” and said the administration would continue working to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Trump’s latest remarks followed his comments to reporters on Thursday, when he said Washington would decide whether to resume military action against Iran . US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also defended the military campaign against Iran, known as Operation Epic Fury, on Thursday.
