US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday reiterated President Donald Trump’s warning of impending military strikes against Iran.
Speaking to reporters at US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters in Tampa, Florida, Hegseth said, "CENTCOM will be busy tonight because we are going to hit Iran hard."
He added, “Iran has a chance to make a great deal. They haven't been willing to it...they are going to have tap, tap, tap bombs dropping on key facilities in Iran from the US."
Hegseth stressed that the strikes are “not to restart the war but to set the terms for a deal".
“Those strikes that will happen tonight will be strong and clear and if they have to happen tomorrow night they will be strong and clear. President Trump is prepared to make that deal, Iran would be wise to take it otherwise they will have to deal with the types of plans that I just had a chance to see at CENTCOM," he continued.
“We will hit them hard on our terms, on the targets that improve the environment for us to operate in and undermine the capabilities that Iran wants to have," said Hegseth, who added that the strikes signal to Iran, “You have a choice to, in the way that you respond, and you have a choice with our incredible negotiating team."
Hegseth’s comments came hours after Trump publicly informed members of the press that the United States would "hit [Iran] again hard today."
"We hit them hard yesterday and we're going to hit them again hard today," Trump stated.
"And we'll see what happens with the deal. We were really close to a deal - but they keep tapping us along. They keep playing us for suckers because you know what? They dealt with some very stupid Presidents," he said.
"We want a deal that's meaningful, we want a deal that works," Trump reiterated, contrasting the deal he seeks with the JCPOA that the Obama Administration signed, which he stated gave Iran a "path to a nuclear weapon."
Axios later reported that Trump convened a high-level Situation Room meeting to deliberate on initiating a fresh round of military operations against Iran.
Insiders revealed to Axios that the Trump administration is weighing an operational framework that would be extensive in magnitude but tightly constrained in its duration. The overarching objective of such a strike would be to apply maximum pressure on Tehran, forcing the regime to shift its current posture within ongoing diplomatic talks.
The individuals familiar with the matter did not provide precise details regarding the exact targets or timeline of the proposed assault.