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Hegseth Responds to Reports War With Iran Is Imminent

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell / @TheElizMitchell

Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell is the White House Correspondent for "The Daily Signal." Send her an email.

Amidst reports that the United States is close to a major war with Iran, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said his job is to make sure the military is capable of backing up the president. 

“We have enormous capabilities, unlike anyone else in the world, and I think the big difference between this department and others is that we unlock and unleash our war fighters to get the job done should they have to,” Hegseth said in response to a question from The Daily Signal in St. Louis, Missouri.  

“But our hope is that we never have to use that,” he added. “The president is a negotiator looking for a deal. It would be wise for Iran to see that deal.”

JUST IN: I asked @SecWar about the Axios report saying a massive military operation in Iran is coming soon."We would never reveal what we may or may not do. We have enormous capabilities, unlike anyone else in the world, and I think the big difference between this Department…— Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell (@TheElizMitchell) February 19, 2026

JUST IN: I asked @SecWar about the Axios report saying a massive military operation in Iran is coming soon."We would never reveal what we may or may not do. We have enormous capabilities, unlike anyone else in the world, and I think the big difference between this Department…

Axios reported Wednesday that President Donald Trump is close to waging a war with Iran, and that a U.S. military operation in Iran would likely be a massive, weeks-long campaign that would look more like full-fledged war than the recent operation in Venezuela. 

While Iranian leaders want to reach a nuclear deal with the U.S., they are also rushing to prepare for war if negotiations fail, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The U.S. could be ready to launch a “sustained” bombing campaign on Iran in the near future, the New York Post reported.

“The world has seen over the last year plus what the president is willing to do,” Hegseth said. “When he speaks, they should listen, and when he says Iran’s not going to have a nuclear weapon, and they should negotiate that. He means it, and our job at the Department of War is to have the capabilities to back him up.” 

The Trump administration has one message to Iran: come to the table and make a deal, Hegseth said. 

“Two people will make this decision: the Iranians could step up and make a real deal,” Hegseth said, “and ultimately President Trump will decide if it’s a good enough deal for the American people.” 

On Tuesday, Trump advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff had a three-hour meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva, Switzerland. Hegseth echoed the message of other Trump administration officials that the talks yielded progress. 

Vice President Vance told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that the talks “went well” in some ways, but “in other ways it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through.”

The Daily Signal asked Hegseth about Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggesting Iran could sink a U.S. war ship. 

Hegseth also responded to Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying Iran could sink U.S. ships. “I feel very good about the capabilities of our warships,” he told @DailySignal. “Very good.” pic.twitter.com/Qnl5Y4mJEP— Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell (@TheElizMitchell) February 19, 2026

Hegseth also responded to Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying Iran could sink U.S. ships. “I feel very good about the capabilities of our warships,” he told @DailySignal. “Very good.” pic.twitter.com/Qnl5Y4mJEP

“I feel very good about the capabilities of our warships,” Hegseth said. “Very good.”

The war secretary spoke to reporters following a stop on his “Arsenal of Freedom” tour in St. Louis, Missouri, to visit a Boeing facility. 

Hegseth addressed some of Boeing’s 18,000 employees in St. Louis and asked them to build more planes at a faster pace.

“When we unleash American industry, America wins,” Hegseth said. “When we compete, we win. When we innovate, we win. When we move fast, we win.” 

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