Iran war: US says ready to resume war if no deal reached

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States had enough weapons to restart the war against Iran if needed. 

“Our ability to recommence if necessary … we are more than capable, our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe, because of how we balance exquisite and more plentiful munitions,” he said on Saturday while addressing a defense conference in Singapore.

Hegseth said the United States had a global obligation to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons. 

Regarding the ongoing discussions of a potential ceasefire, Hegseth said that any deal with Iran would be a good deal

Military officials from Israel and Lebanon held “productive” talks in Washington on Friday, Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s second-in-command, wrote on X.

“Today at the Pentagon, I hosted military delegations from Israel and Lebanon for the security track supporting the ongoing peace talks between their two countries,” Colby wrote.

He added that the meeting would complement upcoming diplomatic discussions.

“We held productive military-to-military discussions which will inform the Department of State-led political track next week,” he wrote.

Talks between senior Israeli and Lebanese officials have been ongoing since April. However, the talks are complicated by the fact that Iran-backed Shiite militant group Hezbollah, Israel’s target, is not participating and has refused to accept their results.

Welcome to DW’s ongoing coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States had sufficient weapons stockpiles to restart military operations against Iran if necessary.

Meanwhile, military officials from Israel and Lebanon held what US officials described as productive talks in Washington.

Stay tuned for more news and analysis.