(DCNF)—Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime” that President Donald Trump’s nuclear deal with Iran is still “on the table” as the National Security Council (NSC) heads to the situation room.
Following Trump’s post on Truth Social urging “everyone to immediately evacuate Tehran,” reports indicated the president had called the NSC together as he prepared to leave the G7 summit early. Discussing the situation, Fox News host Jesse Watters asked Hegseth if Trump was still “aiming” for a nuclear deal with Iran, to which he responded, “of course.”
“The president, as he said today, his position has not changed. What you’re watching in real time is peace through strength and America first. Our job is to be strong. We are postured defensively in the region to be strong in pursuit of a peace deal,” Hegseth said. “We certainly hope that’s what happens here.”
“America first means we’re going to defend American personnel and American interests. So when you see jets and you see air defense assets and counter UAS [Unmanned Aircraft System] assets, that’s because my job as the secretary of Defense is to ensure that our people are safe and that we’re strong so that we can set the conditions for a deal,” Hegseth added. “President Trump’s made it clear it’s on the table. The question is whether Iran will take it.”
Tensions broke out between Israel and Iran on Thursday after Israel launched preemptive strikes against multiple military targets in Iran. Following the initial reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the country’s “Rising Lion” operation, saying it would continue until the “threat” of Iran’s potential nuclear weapon is removed.
Watters then asked whether “all options are on the table” for the Iranians if a deal is still possible, asking Hegseth what a potential agreement could now look like.
“What it looks like right now is we’re vigilant, we’re prepared, and we’ve messaged consistently from the beginning that we’re in the region to defend our people and our assets,” Hegseth said. “Israel took an action out of self-defense. We believe that Iran, as the president has said from the beginning, should not have a nuclear weapon. That position hasn’t changed.”
“They can give it up peacefully. That position hasn’t changed. As a result, right now, we’ve got assets in the region, and we’re going to defend them. We’re going to be strong in the process,” Hegseth said. “So people are reading into a lot of aspects right now. We’re strong, we’re prepared, we’re defensive and President Trump hopes there can be peace.”
As Iran and Israel have continued trading strikes since Thursday, reports on Monday indicated Iran may be open to negotiations after its military leadership and nuclear sites were heavily damaged.
Netanyahu told ABC News shortly after, however, that Israel would not pursue peace talks, accusing Iran of wanting to “keep on building their nuclear weapons and building their mass ballistic missile arsenal.”
Following Israel’s first strike, Secretary of State Marco Rubio released a statement saying the U.S. was not involved. Trump later clarified that while the U.S. did not participate, he had been aware of the strikes in advance.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Fox News/”Jesse Watters Primetime”)
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
At Last, a Company With Integrity in the Gold IRA Industry
For several years, I’ve been vetting out precious metals companies in search of the best. I believe in gold and silver but it’s hard to find integrity in the Gold IRA industry. The vast majority operate with shady tactics and gigantic spreads that take advantage of Americans who simply want to protect their life’s savings.
I’ve found a handful that I like and I’ve worked with some of them. By no means would I “unrecommend” them because, again, I vetted them out and found them to be above the fold. Unfortunately, it isn’t hard to be better than the rest when the rest are so darn awful.
After years of searching, I finally found a company that truly operates with integrity. Augusta Precious Metals has three important attributes that set them far above the competition:
- Non-Commissioned Sales Team: I cannot stress how important and unique this is. With just about every other company in the Gold IRA industry, the sales teams make commission from every account they open. This means they steer their clients toward the gold and silver products with the highest commission. With Augusta Precious Metals, the team is solely focused on putting the best gold and silver for their clients into their IRA. They get paid to serve the best interests of the Gold IRA client, NOT their own commission pay.
- Incredibly Low Fees: Most Americans would be shocked if they knew the spread other Gold IRA companies charge. Augusta charges just 5% versus up to 45% elsewhere.
- No Pressure, No Gimmicks: There’s an understanding among most in the Gold IRA industry that fear and pressure is the way to go. Augusta Precious Metals takes a sober approach when working with clients because they hold integrity in the highest possible regard. This is why they don’t offer gimmicks like “free” or “bonus” silver. It’s also why they do not apply pressure tactics to get quick sales. Their educational and transparent approach to doing business is exceedingly rare in the Gold IRA industry.
Reach out to Augusta Precious Metals to learn more about protecting your wealth and retirement with physical precious metals.