US ‘more than capable’ of resuming war against Iran, Pete Hegseth says | US-Israel war on Iran
The United States has an ample stockpile of weapons and is “more than capable” of restarting war with Iran, Pete Hegseth told a defense summit hours after a meeting in Washington failed to reach a deal to end the conflict.
“Our ability to restart if necessary means we are more than capable,” the U.S. defense secretary said Saturday at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a defense summit in Singapore. “Our stockpiles are more than up to the task there and around the world because of how we balance excellent and more abundant ammunition.”
Hegseth’s remarks come as a peace deal between the United States and Iran that would end the war remains uncertain.
Donald Trump claimed on Friday that he could approve an Iran peace deal that includes major concessions from Tehran, including opening the Strait of Hormuz and dismantling the country’s nuclear program.
However, senior Iranian officials have signaled that no final agreement has been reached.
Two weeks after Trump’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, Hegseth said there was “justified alarm” about Beijing’s military build-up but that the United States was seeking a “respectful” regional balance.
His headline speech at the defense summit, which brought together senior defense officials and experts from nearly 45 countries, contrasted with his strongly confrontational statements towards China at last year’s event.
Unlike Beijing, which sent a delegation of military experts and academics to replace defense minister Dong Jun for the second year in a row, Hegseth is leading a buffer U.S. delegation to the event, which provides a chance for both open discussion and behind-closed-doors diplomacy.
“As we look at the region today, there is justified alarm about China’s historic military build-up and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,” Hegseth said.
He said Washington was not looking for “unnecessary conflicts in the region” but for “a truly stable balance.” [in Asia] “This will benefit both Americans and our allies.”
He added that this means “a positive but permanent balance of power in which no state, including China, can impose its hegemony and question the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies.”
He said the US wanted a “respectful” and “good faith” relationship with Beijing, adding: “I wish my counterpart was here at this conference, but I look forward to other options when our paths cross.”
Trump spoke of “fantastic” trade deals in Beijing but offered few details, and later suggested Washington could use arms sales to self-ruled Taiwan as a bargaining chip with Beijing.
Hegseth said there had been “no change” in Washington’s attitude towards Taiwan, but that “any decision regarding future arms sales to Taiwan will rest with the US president.”
Analysts said Dong’s absence from the demonstration reflected Beijing’s confidence as an established power and little inclination to publicly respond to its assertive moves in the region.
But some argue that China also risks being absent from a senior policymaker if two major security challenges arise: the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and Beijing’s claim over Taiwan.
