Washington, June 25 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has said Iran was making “very big concessions” in negotiations with the United States, expressing confidence that talks were progressing while warning that Washington remained prepared to use military force if necessary.Speaking to reporters before and after meetings at the Capitol and later during talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House on Wednesday (local time), Trump struck an optimistic tone about diplomacy with Te…
Latest Pete Hegseth News & Updates
Washington, June 14 (IANS) Senior Trump administration officials on Sunday mounted a vigorous defence of the emerging US-Iran agreement, saying that it bears little resemblance to the nuclear accord negotiated under former President Barack Obama, even as Obama-era officials questioned whether the new arrangement would ultimately be much different.The debate unfolded across multiple Sunday television interviews as the White House pushed toward a memorandum of understanding with Iran that Presiden…
Washington, June 11 (IANS) Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said that if the US needs to, it will “negotiate with bombs”, as he warned Iran that American strikes would continue until Tehran agrees to President Donald Trump’s nuclear terms. Speaking at US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida on Wednesday (Local time), Hegseth delivered one of the Trump administration’s bluntest warnings yet to Iran, saying additional military operations were already planned…
Washington, June 11 (IANS) The United States launched a fresh round of strikes against multiple targets in Iran, with President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warning Tehran that military pressure would intensify unless it agreed to a nuclear deal with Washington.The latest operation began at 5:15 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, when US Central Command (CENTCOM) launched what it described as additional self-defence strikes against multiple targets in Iran at the direction of Pres…
Washington, June 11 (IANS) The United States has effectively taken control of the Strait of Hormuz and quietly protected the movement of more than 100 million barrels of oil through the strategic waterway despite tensions with Iran, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said.Speaking at US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters in Florida on Wednesday (Local time), Hegseth unveiled new details of what he described as a largely undisclosed maritime operation aimed at keeping one of the world’s most i…
Singapore, May 31 (IANS) South Korea has discussed a Japan-proposed bilateral military logistics support pact with Tokyo, although Seoul maintained its reservations over the matter, Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said on Sunday. Ahn made the remarks to the press at a defence forum in Singapore, a day after he had bilateral talks with Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.”There were discussions regarding (a potential) Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA),” the South Korean Defenc…
Singapore, May 31 (IANS) US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has called on America’s allies in the Indo-Pacific region to increase defence spending and strengthen military preparedness to counter China’s growing influence and military expansion, according to a report. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth stressed that maintaining regional stability would require stronger deterrence, deeper security cooperation and greater contributions from US allies.According to a report by M…
Washington, May 31 (IANS) US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that it disabled a Gambia-flagged maritime vessel attempting to sail toward an Iranian port.”CENTCOM forces observed M/V Lian Star transiting international waters toward an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman and issued more than 20 warnings while informing the vessel it was in violation of the US blockade,” according to a statement issued by CENTCOM on social media on Saturday.”A US aircraft disabled the vessel by firing a Hellfire missil…
Singapore, May 30 (IANS) A Pillar-II signature project was announced by Australia, United Kingdom and the US (AUKUS) trilateral security partnership in Singapore on Saturday, Australia’s Minister of Defence and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey made the joint announcement at the US Embassy in Singapore, where they reaffirmed their commitment to delivering the AUKUS partnership.The first ‘AUKUS Pillar II Sign…
Singapore, May 30 (IANS) US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday called for finding a “balance” in the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea in a way that respects the roles the US military has played for decades.Hegseth made the remarks at a defence forum in Singapore amid growing concerns over what appear to be differing views between Seoul and Washington over when and how the transition should proceed, Yonhap news agency reported.”I think we have to find the bal…