U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine hold a briefing on the Iran war, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., U.S., on April 16, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
U.S. forces in West Asia are postured to restart combat operations if Iran doesn’t agree to a peace deal, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Pentagon briefing on Thursday (April 16, 2026).
“You Iran, can choose a prosperous future, a golden bridge, and we hope that you do for the people of Iran,” he said.
Published – April 16, 2026 06:22 pm IST