Hegseth warns Iran to reach deal or face military action

KNOXVILLE

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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Oct. 17 Iran must abandon its nuclear ambitions and negotiate an agreement or face military action, presenting military pressure as essential to bringing Tehran to the negotiating table.

Speaking at the University of Tennessee, Hegseth said Iran could face "the kind of devastation that America can bring and will bring swiftly if necessary." His audience included military recruits and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets.

He accused Iran of expanding its conventional missile forces to discourage intervention while pursuing nuclear ambitions. He also accused Tehran of financing Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis, saying Washington sought to deter attacks against American forces and shipping.

Hegseth placed the Iran policy within President Donald Trump’s broader push to reassert U.S. power. That effort, he said, included confronting drug cartels and reducing Iranian, Chinese and Russian influence in Latin America.

Turning to Venezuela, he described the country as a strategic partner with significant oil resources and said the American operation there would have consequences lasting generations.

Washington intended to remove rival powers from the Western Hemisphere while expanding its military presence and partnerships throughout the Americas, he said.