Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine held a news conference at the Pentagon as gas prices in the U.S. continued to climb amid the ongoing war with Iran.
Washington — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, Joint Chiefs Chairman, declared at a news conference on Tuesday 'the upcoming days will be decisive' in the war with Iran . ' Iran knows that, and there's almost nothing they can militarily do about it,' Hegseth claimed.
The Defense Secretary said that 'American firepower is only increasing,' while saying Iran's is 'decreasing.''Just one month in — only one month — we set the terms,' Hegseth said. President Trump told CBS News' Weijia Jiang Tuesday morning that he is not ready 'quite yet' to abandon a bid to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Mr. Trump reiterated his frustration that other countries had not sent military assets to join the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, saying 'countries have to come in and take care of it.'In a post on social media early Tuesday, Mr. Trump called on other countries, such as the United Kingdom, to 'go get your own oil' by taking control of the Strait of Hormuz. 'I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT. You'll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won't be there to help you anymore, just like you weren't there for us,' Mr. Trump wrote. On the Strait of Hormuz, Hegseth said 'there are many more vessels flowing through today than there were,' adding that the president has been 'clear to Iran, 'open it for business or we have options,' and we certainly do.'Hegseth echoed the president's post on Truth Social earlier Tuesday, saying 'that there are countries around the world that ought be prepared to step up on this critical waterway as well.'More broadly, Hegseth said 'if Iran is wise, it will cut a deal.' He said the president is willing to make a deal, and the terms of the deal are known to the Iranians. If not, Hegseth said the U.S. 'will continue with even more intensity.'Amid criticism from some Democrats about whether there are talks with Iran, Hegseth said the negotiations are 'very real.' He called the talks 'active and, I think, gaining strength.' 'We would much prefer to get a deal. If Iran was willing to relinquish material they have and ambitions they have, open the strait — that's the goal,' Hegseth said. 'We don't want to do more militarily than we have to. But I didn't mean it flippantly when I said that in the meantime, we'll negotiate with bombs.'The Defense secretary said 'the primary effort is a deal.'Caine said 'our joint force continues to focus on our military objectives as we systematically continue to degrade and destroy Iran's ability to project power and threaten stability beyond its borders.' He reiterated that the U.S. remains focused on destroying Iran's ballistic missile and Unmanned Aircraft Systems capabilities, along with the programs' supply chains. The briefing came hours after an Iranian drone hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker off Dubai, an attack on energy targets as the average gas price in the U.S. climbed over $4 a gallon. 'The Kuwaiti giant crude oil tanker was subjected to a direct and malicious Iranian attack while in the anchorage area of Dubai Port in the UAE,' official news agency KUNA reported, citing Kuwait's state-owned oil company. The Kuwaiti Very Large Crude Oil Carrier Al-Salmi was targeted, according to state media.Gas prices in the U.S. continued to climb this week, with the average price for a gallon topping $4 a gallon for the first time since August 2022. Gas prices have surged since the U.S. and Israel first attacked Iran on February 28, jumping more than a dollar per gallon over the last month, data from the AAA showed. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Tuesday that 'gas prices will plummet back to the multi-year lows American drivers enjoyed before these short-term disruptions' when the Iran war is over. Leavitt added that Mr. Trump is 'committed to fully unleashing American energy dominance.' Mr. Trump on Monday renewed his calls to attack Iranian civilian energy and water infrastructure if no deal is reached to end the war. Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command said early Tuesday that Commander Adm. Brad Cooper met with Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir in Israel on Sunday and Monday. 'The two leaders discussed progress made during ongoing operations to eliminate Iran's ability to project power in meaningful ways outside its borders,' the CENTCOM statement said. 'They also reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Israel defense partnership and emphasized the importance of continued coordination. Prior to departing the region, Cooper visited with U.S. troops deployed to multiple locations in support of Operation Epic Fury.'
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