‘We negotiate with bombs’: Hegseth boasts even as Trump claims Iran talks underway
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘We negotiate with bombs’: Hegseth boasts even as Trump claims Iran talks underway")
US President Donald Trump looks on as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a swearing in ceremony for new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 24, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says the US “negotiates with bombs” in Iran war, while US President Donald Trump claims talks are ongoing and blames Hegseth for starting the war.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday (Mar 24) said that the United States “negotiates with bombs” even as the White House stated that the diplomatic path remains open to end the war with Iran. Hegseth reiterated US President Donald Trump’s stance that Washington will not allow Tehran to possess a nuclear weapon. This comes as the war in West Asia entered its 26th day on March 25.
While speaking at the swearing-in ceremony for the Secretary of Homeland Security, Hegseth claimed that it was the first time in history that a modern military had been so obliterated.
“The air campaign we’ve conducted was one for the history books,” Hegseth said. “We have a president who, when he sends his warfighters out to fight, he unties their hands to actually go out and destroy the enemy as viciously as possible from moment one.”
He doubled down, saying, “We negotiate with bombs.”
“Never in history has a modern military… been so rapidly and historically obliterated, defeated, from day one with overwhelming firepower,” he said. “You have a choice, as we loiter over the top of Tehran, about your future.”
He added, “The President has made it clear that you will not have a nuclear weapon. The war department agrees, our job is to ensure that. We are keeping our hand on that throttle as long and as hard as is necessary to ensure that the interests of the United States of America are achieved on that battlefield.”
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“He has been very clear with us about what we need to accomplish... creating the conditions for them never to have a nuclear capability, and that is exactly what we are doing in a historic fashion.”
Trump blames Hegseth for starting Iran war
Meanwhile, Trump blamed the Secretary of War for starting the war with Iran. In the same ceremony, the US president said, “I think this thing’s going to be settled very soon and they go, ‘Oh, that’s too bad.’ Pete didn’t want it to be settled.” He added, “They were not interested in settlement. They were interested in just winning this thing,”
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said that the US is in negotiations with Iran. He also claimed that Iran offered him a “very big present” related to oil and gas, without sharing any details.
Hostilities began on February 28 when the US and Israeli military launched strikes on Iran, killing Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei and several other top Iranian officials. The operation was named ‘Epic Fury’ by the US and ‘Lion’s Roar’ by Israel. The attacks came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and ongoing talks over Iran’s nuclear program.
In retaliation, Iran launched attacks on Israel and US military bases in the region, including in Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Azerbaijan. Iran has ruled out any possibility of a ceasefire, while US President Donald Trump has claimed victory multiple times, suggesting that the objective is nearly met. Meanwhile, Israel has expanded its operations in Lebanon, targeting Iran’s ally Hezbollah and has ruled out diplomacy with the Lebanese government.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
