Hegseth says Iran has choice between deal or ‘devastation’

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Saturday that Iran faces a choice between abandoning its "nuclear ambitions" and reaching a deal or facing devastating military action.

"Iran's going to have a choice to make real quick about whether they're going to give those up at the table or face the kind of devastation that America can bring and will bring swiftly if necessary," Hegseth told Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadets and military recruits at the University of Tennessee.

He accused Tehran of building a large conventional missile arsenal to deter military action while pursuing "nuclear ambitions," arguing that US military strength was essential to forcing adversaries to negotiate.

Hegseth also said that Iran "funds the proxies in Hezbollah, funds the proxies in the Houthis in Yemen," adding that Washington had sought to deter attacks on US forces and shipping.

The defense chief framed the policy on Iran as part of US President Donald Trump's wider effort to reassert American power, including confronting drug cartels and limiting the influence of Iran, China and Russia in Latin America.

Referring to Venezuela, Hegseth said the US operation there would have "generational implications," describing the country as a strategic partner and highlighting its oil resources.

He said Washington was seeking to push its rivals out of the Western Hemisphere while strengthening its military presence and partnerships across the Americas.