US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States is prepared to resume strikes on Iran if no agreement is reached, as President Donald Trump continues to weigh whether to sign a ceasefire memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Tehran.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, the Asia Security Summit held in Singapore on May 30 local time, Hegseth said the US has "more than enough capability to resume strikes at any time, if necessary," according to Reuters. "The Strait of Hormuz will be an open strait. It will be a strait that the whole world can use freely, with no tolls," Hegseth said. "That is how it is supposed to be."
Asked whether a permanent withdrawal of US forces from Middle East bases targeted by Iran was under consideration, Hegseth said, "All of that is up to President Trump to decide," adding that "those decisions will be made based on the final outcome" of the ceasefire negotiations with Iran.
Earlier, Trump announced on the morning of the 29th that he would "be meeting now in the Situation Room to make a final decision" regarding the ceasefire negotiations with Iran. Although the meeting lasted more than two hours, the president had not disclosed any decision as of the afternoon of the 30th.
Meanwhile, a somewhat hardline position emerged from Iran. According to CNN, Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran's Parliamentary National Security Committee, said in an interview with Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on the 29th that "Iran has no intention of transferring its enriched uranium to a third country."
When asked about arms sales to Taiwan, Hegseth said, "We respect China's ambitions. We are aware that they have been carrying out a significant military buildup." He added, however, that "our position on Taiwan has not changed."
