Asked about talks with Iran, Hegseth says the US “would much prefer†to strike a deal but “in the meantime, we'll negotiate with bombsâ€.
The Pentagon chief describes talks as “active†and ongoingâ€, adding:
double quotation mark On the talks, I can tell you, having been with with Steve and Jared and the vice president and many Marco and many others yesterday, they are very real.They are ongoing. They're active, and I think gaining strength. And we appreciate that. As I said in my remarks, we would much prefer to get a deal if Iran was willing to relinquish, material they have and ambitions they have open the strait. That's the goal.
We don't want to have to do more militarily than we have to. But I didn't mean it flippantly when I said, in the meantime, we'll negotiate with bombs.
Key events
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The Pentagon chief says “other countries should listen when the president speaks†in reference to Donald Trump's latest tirade at allies for not joining his war on Iran.
Hegseth says:
double quotation mark We will make sure Iran is it knows that very clearly is not just the United States of America problem set.But it's not just us. So ultimately, I think other countries should pay attention when the president speaks. He's proven that when he speaks, he means something.
And he's pointing out, you know, you might might want to start learning how to fight for yourself. It's something some of us have been saying for quite some time.
You can't just have flags. You have to have formations. You can't just have a few ships. You have enough to affect change. Those things matter in a dangerous world with ascendant adversaries.
Asked about talks with Iran, Hegseth says the US “would much prefer†to strike a deal but “in the meantime, we'll negotiate with bombsâ€.
The Pentagon chief describes talks as “active†and ongoingâ€, adding:
double quotation mark On the talks, I can tell you, having been with with Steve and Jared and the vice president and many Marco and many others yesterday, they are very real.They are ongoing. They're active, and I think gaining strength. And we appreciate that. As I said in my remarks, we would much prefer to get a deal if Iran was willing to relinquish, material they have and ambitions they have open the strait. That's the goal.
We don't want to have to do more militarily than we have to. But I didn't mean it flippantly when I said, in the meantime, we'll negotiate with bombs.
Hegseth: next days in Iran war will be ‘decisive’
The next days of the Iran war will be “decisive,†Pentagon chief Hegseth says.
“The upcoming days will be decisive. Iran knows that, and there's almost nothing they can militarily do about it,†Hegseth tells the news conference, his first in nearly two weeks.
He adds:
double quotation mark We have more and more options, and they have less… in only one month we set the terms, the upcoming days will be decisive.Iran knows that, and there's almost nothing they can militarily do about it.
Caine says the US is delivering precision strikes against manufacturing nodes “deep within Iranâ€.
He says around 11,000 targets have been hit in the past 30 days. The US “continues to assert dominance over the Iranian navy,†he adds.
Caine adds that more than 150 ships have been “taken outâ€.
“If Iran is wise, they will cut a deal,†says Hegseth, adding that president Donald Trump “doesn't bluffâ€.
He refers to the Iranian regime as a “new regime†and says that regime change “has occurred†in Iran.
We are now about to hear from joint chiefs of the staff Dan Caine.
Hegseth starts the press conference by saying he visited the Middle East on Saturday and spoke with US troops.
He claims morale is high and there is an appetite among the military personnel to “finish the mission†and that they want bigger bombs and weapons to attack Iran with.
He says:
double quotation mark These troops want to finish this fight for their kids and their grandkids.This is about history, this is about legacy.
The defence secretary says that while previous presidents were “all talkâ€, Trump is “all actionâ€.
Israeli airstrikes killed at least five people in the Gaza Strip in two separate attacks on Tuesday, health officials said. An Israeli airstrike killed at least three people in Jabalia, in the north of the territory, while two other people were killed in another airstrike in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to medics.
In its latest update, Gaza's health ministry said at least 72,285 Palestinian people have been killed and 172,028 others injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October 2023.
At least 709 Palestinian people have been killed in Israeli attacks since a ceasefire came into effect in October 2025, according to the ministry, whose figures the UN generally find reliable.
Most of the people killed have been civilians and the true death toll is likely much higher given the number of those still buried under rubble across the Gaza Strip.
US defense secretary Pete Hegseth and joint chiefs of staff Dan Caine are due to give an update on the military campaign in Iran on the hour.
It comes as Donald Trump described Iran as having been “decimated†by the US-Israeli war.
We will have all the latest news lines here on the Middle East crisis live blog. Stay tuned.
Donald Trump seems to still be bitter at European countries who earlier this month ruled out sending warships to the strait of Hormuz, despite him warning that Nato faced “a very bad future†if members failed to help reopen the vital waterway.
He has reserved particular criticism for the UK's prime minister, Keir Starmer, whom he once enjoyed warm relations with, calling him “no Churchill†and saying the so-called special relationship is not what it was after Starmer refused to permit the use of UK bases for the initial US-Israel strikes on Iran.
In an unusual break from London sticking closely to Washington on foreign policy issues, Starmer has insisted the UK would not be “drawn into the wider warâ€. In a strong rebuke of the US-Israeli assault on Iran, widely seen to have been launched illegally, he said Britain did not believe in “regime change from the skiesâ€.
However, with the war continuing to escalate, the UK has confirmed it is authorising the use of British military bases to strike Iranian missile launchers that are targeting commercial ships in the strait of Hormuz, as my colleagues write here. Previously, UK bases were only being used to strike Iranian sites targeting British allies and interests in Gulf states.
Countries like the UK should go to strait of Hormuz and ‘just take’ fuel, Trump says
In a post on Truth Social, the US president, Donald Trump, has suggested that countries like the UK should build up the “courage†to go to the strait of Hormuz and “just take†fuel.
“You'll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the USA won't be there to help you anymore, just like you weren't there for us,†Trump said as he criticised countries who “refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iranâ€.
He said these countries could buy “jet fuel†from the US, where there is “plentyâ€, if they are running low on supplies.
“Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!†Trump concluded his social media post by saying. More details soon…
Our graphics team have produced a useful map showing the location of the Kuwaiti oil tanker – Al-Salmi – hit near Dubai, reportedly by an Iranian strike, on Tuesday (see opening summary for more details):
Al-Salmi attacked.
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said the Al-Salmi was struck in an Iranian attack while anchored at Dubai port in the UAE, causing a fire onboard and other damage to the vessel.
Malaysian tankers permitted to pass through the strait of Hormuz will be exempt from paying any tolls imposed by Iran, Malaysia's transport minister, Anthony Loke, said on Tuesday.
Malaysia said over the weekend that the tankers – owned by petroleum giant Petronas, Sapura Energy and maritime firm MISC – were awaiting clearance to safely sail through the narrow waterway, which has effectively been closed by Tehran as leverage in the war, started by the US and Israel on 28 February.
“No, this is a complete no… The Iranian ambassador (to Malaysia) has mentioned this, no toll being imposed on Malaysian vessels,†Loke told reporters earlier today.
“We are a friendly party. We have a good diplomatic relationship with the Iranian government.â€
Loke said it would take time for Malaysian vessels to pass through the strait as “there are many ships that are stranded and anchored thereâ€.
Iran has allowed a trickle of ships through from nations it deems “non-hostileâ€, such as Thailand, China, Pakistan and India.
An Iranian parliamentary committee yesterday approved a proposal to collect a toll on vessels travelling through the strait of Hormuz but said ships from the US, Israel and countries that imposed sanctions on Iran would not be permitted (see post at 08.35 for more details).
In an earlier post we brought you pictures following US-Israeli airstrikes on the Husseiniya Azam – a key Shia religious site used for ceremonies and gatherings – in the Iranian city of Zanjan, with damage reportedly caused to parts of the dome and minarets. We can now bring you some more information.
State television said the site “was damaged following the enemy's morning attack on the Ferdowsi street†in Zanjan, an industrial provincial capital located about 200 miles northwest of Tehran.
The airstrikes killed at least four people and injured 26 others in the area, according ISNA news agency, citing Ali Sadeghi, a provincial deputy governor.
Dubai's media office said in a social media post that authorities are responding to an “incident caused by debris from a successful interception that fell on residential houses in southern Dubai, resulting in property damage and minor injuries to four Asian nationalsâ€.
