US to maintain regional presence to ensure Iran ceasefire compliance:Hegseth

The United States will keep its forces in the Middle East to ensure Iran adheres to the ceasefire agreement, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday.

“We’re going to make sure Iran complies with this ceasefire and then ultimately comes to the table and makes a deal,” Hegseth told reporters while claiming that Iran accepted the ceasefire under “overwhelming pressure.”

The defence secretary suggested that the ceasefire provides a chance at “real peace and a real deal,” adding that his department has done its part “for now,” but that it will be standing ready to make sure Iran upholds every reasonable term.

He said that US troops are prepared “to defend, prepared to go on offense, prepared to restart at a moment’s notice with whatever target package would be needed.”

On the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for nearly 800 stranded vessels , Hegseth confirmed that US troops would ensure commercial vessels can transit safely under the ceasefire terms.

“They will be sailing,” he said, emphasizing that American forces are “not going anywhere” and will remain vigilant in the region.

He said that if Iran had refused Washington’s terms, then “the next targets would have been their power plants, their bridges, and oil and energy infrastructure”.

He boosted that the Iranian regime leader recognised that a deal will be better as destruction of power and civilian infrastruture would take decades to rebuild.

“President Trump had the power to cripple Iran’s entire economy in minutes, but he chose mercy,” the defence secretary said.

Hegseth confirmed that infrastructure targets, including bridges, power plants, and facilities on Kharg Island, were “locked and loaded,” citing Iran’s use of key infrastructure for dual purposes.

He added that the threat of US military capability played a role in bringing Iran to negotiations.

Addressing ongoing Iranian strikes, Hegseth said the US is monitoring activity closely and emphasized that ceasefires take time to take effect. “We hope and believe the agreement will be maintained,” he said.

On nuclear issues, Hegseth reiterated that Iran’s enriched uranium remains a non-negotiable concern for Washington.

He says Trump has been “clear from the beginning” that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, and that under the terms of the agreement being negotiated, any nuclear material that Iran “should not have” will be removed.

He warned that the US could take action similar to the 2025 Midnight Hammer operation if Iran refuses to comply.

Hegseth names several senior Iranian figures killed in the US-Israeli military campaign, including the former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who died at the outset of the war.

On the issue of the current Iranian regime, Hegseth noted, “It’s a new group of people,” claiming the leadership now has a “new calculus about what it means to negotiate” with the US.

Terming Israel a “brave, willing and capable ally” to the US, Hegseth said the rest of the world and other “so-called” allies of the US “should take some notes”.