US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth affirmed that the United States is prepared to resume military operations against Iran if it breaches its commitments outlined in the memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides.
اضافة اعلان
Hegseth stated that Tehran must fully comply with its pledges, including ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and refraining from taking any steps that threaten the security and stability of the region.
Speaking during a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Hegseth said: "This will be done to ensure NATO’s swift progress toward European leadership, enhance the Alliance's responsibility for defending the region, and ensure our forces are aligned with America's global needs."
The US Defense Secretary emphasized that Washington will not allow Iran to possess a nuclear weapon, stressing that the agreement reached came "from a position of American strength" and aims to prevent escalation and foster regional stability.
He added that any breach of the agreement would be met with a decisive US response, noting that the United States continues to closely monitor the implementation of the memorandum's terms, in coordination with its partners and allies.
He explained: "The review ultimately aims to improve the structure of the US military forces and strengthen NATO."
He further added that the future US contribution to NATO "will be directly linked to the extent to which Alliance member states increase their defense spending."
In May, Washington announced that it would scale back its contributions to the NATO Force Model—an asset planning tool—as part of a broader push to increase European defense spending and limit the continent's reliance on the United States.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the reduction would not affect NATO's capabilities to defend European allies.
NATO defense ministers are meeting in Brussels ahead of the Alliance's upcoming summit in Ankara, scheduled for this July.
