Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that Iran has an opportunity to secure a nuclear deal if it abandons any pursuit of a nuclear weapon in a verifiable manner. Hegseth said Iran has a &ldquo;historic chance to make a serious deal&rdquo; and said the outcome depends on its decision regarding its nuclear program. He spoke at a Pentagon briefing alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine. &ldquo;All they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways,&rdquo; Hegseth said. Meanwhile, the General Caine said US operations tied to maritime security have been underway since April 8, the day a ceasefire was announced after 55 days of combat operations involving Iran. Caine said sea lanes remain open but warned that any attempt to deploy mines would violate ceasefire terms. He said US forces have intercepted vessels linked to sanctioned Iranian oil shipments in recent days. Several ships were seized and are being held by US authorities, he reported. The Pentagon chief said Iran must decide whether to move toward diplomacy or face continued pressure. He said US forces were prepared to respond to any actions that threaten shipping or regional security. Hegseth said US forces are authorized to act against Iranian fast boats if they threaten maritime movement or attempt to disrupt shipping. He stated the United States is not under pressure to reach a deal and will maintain its position while negotiations continue.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, hold a press briefing at the Pentagon on April 24, 2026. (Department of War/YouTube)

Americas

US says Iran has a chance for a nuclear deal if it abandons its weapons program, as officials warn that continued negotiations depend on Tehran’s decision.

Iran has chance to make deal, abandon nuclear pursuit: Pentagon chief

ISLAMABAD: A US panel investigating the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal has reviewed nine million documents on the collapse, roughly 3,000 times more than the previous government inquiry, according to a statement published by the US Department of War. The Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel has completed interviews with dozens of senior military and civilian leaders, the department reported on its website. Panel chairman Sean Parnell said the inquiry is the most &ldquo;comprehensive military after-action review&rdquo; in modern history. A prior review commissioned under former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin examined approximately 3,000 documents. The statement said that review was over-classified at the highest levels, keeping critical information from public scrutiny. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth established the panel at the direction of President Donald Trump. Among those interviewed were General Mark A. Milley, retired former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Kenneth F McKenzie Jr, the retired former Commander of US Central Command, and General Austin S. Miller, the retired former Commander of US Forces&ndash;Afghanistan. Also interviewed was General Christopher T. Donahue. A Pentagon image distributed by AFP showed Donahue as the last US service member to board the final departing aircraft when US forces left Kabul airport on August 30, 2021. AFP reported Taliban fighters entered the airport immediately after and declared Afghanistan had achieved &ldquo;full independence.&rdquo; The withdrawal involved an 18-day airlift that evacuated more than 122,000 people, as reported by AFP. Correspondents on the ground described panic and pandemonium as thousands flooded the airport perimeter. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said it was &ldquo;mathematically impossible&rdquo; to evacuate all eligible Afghan personnel before the deadline. A confidential UN threat assessment obtained by AFP indicated Taliban forces conducted targeted door-to-door visits to identify individuals who had worked with US forces, despite public promises of amnesty. According to the US Department of War&#39;s statement, the panel is now integrating its documentary record and preparing findings. The final report is to be delivered to the Defense Secretary and the public in the coming months.

Afghan people climb atop a plane as they wait at the Kabul airport in Kabul on August 16, 2021, as thousands of people mobbed the city's airport trying to flee. (AFP)

Asia

A Pentagon review panel examines the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, interviewing senior military leaders and reviewing millions of documents as it prepares a comprehensive report on the evacuation and aftermath.

US panel reviews nine million documents on Afghanistan withdrawal collapse

WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that the United States is &quot;not concerned&quot; about reports that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran on US troop positions and movements. While declining to confirm the reports, Hegseth, in an interview with CBS&#39;s &quot;60 Minutes,&quot; said: &quot;We&#39;re tracking everything.&quot; &quot;Our commanders are aware of everything,&quot; he said. &quot;We have the best intelligence in the world. We&#39;re aware of who&#39;s talking to who.&quot; &quot;We&#39;re not concerned about that,&quot; the defense secretary said. &quot;We mitigate it as we need to.&quot; Earlier Friday, the White House also downplayed a report that Russia is providing Iran with targeting information about US forces in the Middle East. &quot;It clearly is not making a difference with respect to the military operations in Iran because we are completely decimating them,&quot; White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. &quot;We are achieving the military objectives of this operation and that is going to continue,&quot; Leavitt said. The Washington Post, citing officials familiar with the intelligence, said Russia has provided Iran with the locations of US military assets, including ships and aircraft. Six US service members were killed in a drone attack on a US base in Kuwait on Sunday and the CIA station in Riyadh has also been hit. The Post said China did not appear to be aiding Iran&#39;s defenses. Russia and China have longstanding diplomatic and trade ties with Iran, while Russia has close military links to the country. Both Moscow and Beijing have criticized the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Middle East

US says it is unconcerned over reports Russia sharing intelligence with Iran on American troop positions, asserting operations and military objectives continue

Articles tagged with "US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth"

Iran has chance to make deal, abandon nuclear pursuit: Pentagon chief

US panel reviews nine million documents on Afghanistan withdrawal collapse

US 'not concerned' by reports Russia aiding Iran's targeting

Iran has chance to make deal, abandon nuclear pursuit: Pentagon chief