Washington says it can resume war with Iran in the absence of an agreement reached

The United States has indicated that it is “more than capable” of resuming the war against Iran if necessary, while the fate of a possible agreement between Washington and Tehran remains uncertain.

“We have ample means, our stocks are amply sized for this, on site as elsewhere in the world, thanks to the way in which we balance sophisticated and more abundant munitions,” declared American Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday during of an important summit on defense in Asia.

“We are in a very favorable situation,” he added.

Related

US Central Command (CENTCOM) echoed this position on X, saying US forces “remain present and vigilant throughout the region.”

US and Iranian negotiators reached a principled framework agreement on Thursday to extend the ceasefire in the war with Iran by 60 days and launch negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program with a view to a final deal.

However, the proposal still had to be approved by US President Donald Trump, who indicated he wanted to make his “final decision” on the agreement at a future meeting.

“Iran must accept that it will never have a nuclear weapon or bomb. The Strait of Hormuz must be immediately opened, without toll, to unrestricted maritime traffic in both directions. Any sea mines (bombs) that may be present must be eliminated,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump met with his advisers for two hours in the White House Situation Room on Friday, but the meeting ended without a decision, according to a senior administration official.

This official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, specified that Trump would only sign an agreement respecting his red lines, in particular the guarantee that Tehran could never develop a nuclear weapon.

Before the meeting ended, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told state media that no deal had yet been finalized. He added that negotiators were primarily focused on ending the war and were not currently discussing details of Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran’s nuclear program remains one of the main sticking points in the negotiations. Tehran has repeatedly rejected this demand, asserting that its nuclear activities are exclusively peaceful and civil.

The main Iranian negotiators also said they did not trust “in guarantees or words”, ensuring that only actions count, which reflects the deep mistrust that remains between the two countries.

“No step will be taken before the other side acts,” wrote the President of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, on X. “We do not obtain concessions through discussions, but through missiles.”

Since the ceasefire came into effect about seven weeks ago, Iran and the United States have accused each other of violating it. Negotiations between the two parties nevertheless continued.