Hegseth Says US ‘Locked and Loaded’ to Strike Iran’s Power Plants If No Deal Reached

‘We’d prefer to do it the nice way through a deal led by our great vice president and negotiating team. Or we can do it the hard way,’ Hegseth said.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks at a press briefing on Operation Epic Fury at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., on March 2, 2026. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Madelyn Keech/Department of War

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on April 16 urged Iran’s leadership to reach a deal with the United States, warning that a military operation against the country could be restarted quickly and that Iran’s power plants would be struck.

He said the U.S. government will ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon, which Trump administration officials say was a primary reason for launching strikes against the country in late February. Iran has long denied that it wants to obtain a nuclear weapon and insists that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.