United States issues ultimatum to Iran regarding nuclear program

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has stated that Iran faces a choice between reaching a deal to abandon its nuclear ambitions or facing “devastating military action.” Speaking to military recruits at the University of Tennessee, Hegseth accused Tehran of building a large conventional missile arsenal to deter U.S. intervention while simultaneously pursuing nuclear capabilities.

In response to U.S. demands to move enriched uranium stockpiles out of the country as a condition for a ceasefire, Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei stated that no enriched nuclear material would leave Iran, calling it a “national wealth.” While Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated that indirect negotiations regarding a potential seven-day ceasefire are ongoing, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has threatened to target undersea internet cables and U.S. investments in the Strait of Hormuz if new strikes are launched against Iranian infrastructure.

The tension comes amid ongoing regional instability, with Hegseth noting that Iran funds proxies such as Hezbollah and the Houthis. Meanwhile, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed commitment to “bringing down the terrorist regime in Iran.”