US ready to resume strikes on Iran if no deal is reached, Pentagon chief says

SINGAPORE: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday that Washington is prepared to launch fresh strikes on Iran if ongoing negotiations fail to produce an agreement, while US officials also reiterated that any deal with Tehran must meet President Donald Trump’s stated conditions.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth said the United States had the capacity to act again if required.

"Our ability to recommence if necessary..we are more than capable,"

He added:

"Our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe, so we're in a very good place,"

Hegseth also said US engagement with Iran had not come at the expense of its role in the Asia-Pacific. He said Washington had not turned its back on the region despite the conflict with Iran and argued that the US could manage multiple priorities at once.

"We can do two things at one time. We're super-charging our defence industrial base so that we're building 2X, 3X, 4X the munitions very soon to ensure that all of our (operations) plans are properly funded throughout the world,"

US maritime warning in Strait of Hormuz

The US Navy Central Command issued an urgent advisory on Friday, warning shipowners, operators and mariners about dangerous military activity in the Strait of Hormuz, north of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula.

According to the Joint Maritime Information Centre advisory dated May 29, the regional threat level was set at CRITICAL. The advisory said Iran was attempting to assert illegal control over the strategic waterway through what it described as dangerous and illegal mining that put vessels and crews at risk.

Mariners were told to avoid the Strait’s Traffic Separation Scheme and instead coordinate transit with US Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping. The advisory also called on vessels to maintain constant radio contact with naval authorities and to immediately follow directions issued by US forces.

It further warned that any vessel seen taking part in, or assisting, mine-laying activity would be engaged by US forces in self-defence.

White House restates Trump’s conditions

A White House official said on Friday that Trump would only agree to an Iran nuclear deal on terms acceptable to the United States. The official spoke after a meeting in the Situation Room that lasted about two hours.

"President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his redlines,"

the official told Anadolu. The same official added:

"Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon,"

The comments came as talks between Washington and Tehran continued, with major differences still standing in the way of an agreement. Earlier, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he would meet officials at the White House to make a final determination on a proposed deal aimed at ending the war with Iran.

He said the proposal included an Iranian commitment never to obtain a nuclear weapon and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted commercial shipping.