Hegseth: US could restart military operations against Iran over agreement violations

The US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said Washington is prepared to restart military action against Iran if it fails to meet commitments under a newly signed agreement.

Speaking in Brussels after a meeting with Nato defence ministers, Hegseth warned that the US could also reimpose a blockade if Tehran does not comply with the terms of the deal, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“The president has pointed out that we will be prepared to recommence if underneath the timeline of these talks, Iran does not do what it says it’s going to do,” Hegseth said.

“If Iran doesn’t comply, then we’re more than able to reimpose an ironclad ‌blockade.”

He also criticised Nato allies for what he described as a lack of support for US operations related to the conflict, arguing that restrictions on access and overflight rights were putting American personnel at risk.

“The United States has defended Europe for generations, and the President said all he said was that our jets would need to take off from bases in Europe or our ships from ports to strike targets in the Middle East, Iranian targets that threaten European interests even more directly than they threaten us.

But too many of our allies said no, or tried to drown us in arcane legal debates, or criticised us publicly for doing what they aren’t prepared or able to do themselves. It was shameful.

These allies, they put America’s sons and daughters, our sons and daughters, at risk by denying them the predictable access facing an overflight that never should have been in question at all.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev