U.S. Defense Secretary: Trump is Fully Serious About an Agreement on Iran's Nuclear Program

The U.S. Defense Secretary states that Donald Trump is "fully serious" about preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, particularly through diplomacy; however, if negotiations fail, Iran will face military options. On Sunday, April 24, Pete Hegseth told Fox News, "Trump is completely serious about his desire to reach an agreement through negotiations, and that was the main reason for yesterday's talks." Negotiations between Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi took place on Saturday in the capital of Oman, and officials from both countries described them as positive and constructive, announcing that the next round of talks will be held on Saturday, April 30. The U.S. Defense Secretary also described these negotiations as "a step forward" but added, "If negotiations fail, my department has ways to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, which I truly hope we never have to make such a decision." Donald Trump himself has repeatedly warned that if negotiations with Iran fail, Iran will be in great danger, and if Tehran does not agree to a deal, "it will be bombed." In another part of his interview with Fox News, Hegseth referred to U.S. air operations against Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, adding, "What we have done against the Houthis and in the region shows how extensive, large, and deep our capabilities are, and we can do the same to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons." The U.S. Defense Secretary, like other officials in the U.S. government, has repeatedly emphasized that Trump's goal is to prevent the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons. A day before the meeting of Iranian and American representatives in Oman, the White House spokesperson also warned that the Islamic Republic of Iran must either agree to Trump's demands or pay a "heavy price." Caroline Levitt also emphasized on Friday that Trump's "ultimate goal" is to ensure that Iran never acquires nuclear weapons, adding, "All options are on the table." Hours after the first round of negotiations between Iran and the U.S. regarding Tehran's nuclear program, the President of the United States said, "Until the work is done, there is nothing important [to say], so I don't want to talk about it. But it is going well; I think the situation with Iran is relatively good." The negotiations on Saturday were held behind closed doors, and not much detail was released about the topics discussed. However, the Wall Street Journal reported that Tehran may be prepared to return to the uranium enrichment levels set in the JCPOA. The newspaper cited Iranian officials stating that in exchange for this action, the Islamic Republic is demanding a reduction in U.S. sanctions, the restoration of access to blocked foreign assets, and a halt to pressure on Chinese buyers of Iranian oil. The New York Times also reported, citing informed officials, that Steve Witkoff, who led the American delegation, did not demand a complete halt to uranium enrichment by the Islamic Republic in the Oman talks, and the main focus of the negotiations was "to ensure that Iran does not divert existing materials towards nuclear weapons production." After the negotiations, Abbas Araqchi told the Islamic Republic TV that the topic of the next round of negotiations will focus on discussing "the general frameworks of the agreement," stating that the American side desires an agreement that can be reached in the shortest time possible. Officials from both Iran and the U.S. have confirmed that the next round of negotiations will take place on Saturday, April 30, but the location has not yet been announced. Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has not yet reacted to the first round of negotiations between Iran and the U.S., and a day after the negotiations, in a meeting with military commanders, he merely stated that "the enemy is frustrated and nervous about the advancements of the Islamic Republic." On Sunday, Ali Mohammadi Sirat, the representative of the Supreme Leader in the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, commented on the future of these negotiations, saying that "if the Americans act logically, the negotiations may reach a good result." Fox News also interviewed Prince Reza Pahlavi on Sunday regarding the Iran-U.S. negotiations. Mr. Pahlavi stated that the Iranian regime is trying to portray Saturday's negotiations as a "victory for itself," adding, "But that is not our interpretation. I think this is actually a sign of weakness. The regime has never been as weak as it is now and must retreat from many positions." He also stated that "in any case, the regime is losing," adding, "The question is whether the people of Iran should benefit from this situation or be caught up in the possibility of conflict and confrontation." Mr. Pahlavi also stated in an interview with the British newspaper Sunday Times that "it is very unlikely that the regime will agree to any deal that Donald Trump is considering." He added that "the leadership of Iran, which is desperate and divided, will use these nuclear negotiations to buy time for its survival." On Sunday, April 24, Ghazaleh Sharmand, the daughter of Jamshid Sharmand, a German-American citizen who was kidnapped by the Islamic Republic and whose body was mutilated and returned to Germany, urged the Trump administration to halt nuclear negotiations with the Islamic Republic. She emphasized that the U.S. and Germany should not negotiate with a government capable of committing such atrocities.