Pete Hegseth rejects claim Trump ‘capitulated’ on Iran, says US ready for combat if needed

WASHINGTON, DC: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back on Tuesday, May 5, against questions over whether President Donald Trump had changed course on Iran, rejecting suggestions that Washington had softened its earlier demands.

The exchange came during a Pentagon briefing, where Hegseth was pressed about Trump’s earlier calls for “unconditional surrender” and regime change rhetoric directed at Tehran.

Hegseth also said the US position remains focused on preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and maintaining military readiness.

Hegseth rejects claims on  changed course

The exchange unfolded after a reporter questioned whether Trump’s willingness to review Iran’s latest proposal to end the war marked a shift from his earlier hardline stance. 

The reporter referenced Trump’s remarks at the outset of the conflict, when he addressed the Iranian people directly and encouraged political change, as well as his later demand that there would be “no deal” except “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.”

Asked what had changed, Hegseth rejected the premise that the president had altered his position. “James… I wouldn’t… You started out nicely, but you ended exactly where we knew you would end,” Hegseth said. 

He then defended Trump’s negotiating posture, saying the administration remained in a position of strength. “The president hasn’t capitulated on anything,” Hegseth said. “He holds the cards, we maintain the upper hand, and Project Freedom only strengthens that hand.”

Hegseth said the administration’s strategic objective remains unchanged, with negotiations and military planning centered on Iran’s nuclear programme.

 “And so he will ensure that whatever deal is made, or whatever end state is reached, creates ensuring that Iran never has a nuclear weapon, which is A No. 1,” he said.

He added that broader political developments inside Iran would be for the Iranian people to determine.

“And what the Iranian people take advantage of after the fact is up to them. And he’s very clear about that.” The exchange ended when the reporter sought a follow-up question, but Hegseth moved on to another reporter. “Everyone else follows directives,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth, 'US military remains prepared if ceasefire collapses'

Hegseth also said the US military remains prepared to restart broader combat operations if Iran does not uphold the terms of the ceasefire or if negotiations fail. 

President Trump, he said, retains the authority and military capability to expand operations if necessary. “If Iran is not willing to follow through on its side of the bargain or make a deal, then the War Department is postured, locked, loaded and ready to go,” Hegseth said.

He said Washington remains hopeful that the ceasefire will hold and diplomacy can continue, but stressed that military preparedness remains in place.

“We hope it doesn’t have to go in that direction,” Hegseth added.

At the same briefing, Hegseth described US forces as being in “a three-point stance and ready to go,” signaling that combat capabilities remain active despite the pause in major hostilities.