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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said it was up to Iran to interpret whether the recent deployment of American B-2 bombers was a message, as he expressed hope for a peaceful resolution to nuclear talks with Tehran.
“We’ll let them decide,” Hegseth told reporters when asked if the move was meant to signal Tehran. “It’s a great asset... it sends a message to everybody.”
In March, up to six B-2 bombers were sent to the US-British base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, US officials told Reuters. The deployment came amid a bombing campaign in Yemen and rising tensions with Iran.
The B-2s, which have stealth capability and can carry the US's most powerful bombs including nuclear weapons, are rarely used. The Air Force has just 20 in its fleet.
“President Trump’s been clear ... Iran should not have a nuclear bomb,” Hegseth said. “We very much hope – the President is focused on doing that peacefully.”
Iran’s nuclear chief announced late Wednesday that Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is expected to visit Tehran around April 20, likely to address unresolved issues related to monitoring Iran’s nuclear activities.
Mohammad Eslami gave no details about the purpose of Grossi’s trip, but the visit comes as Iran continues to restrict the UN watchdog’s access to its nuclear facilities—a limitation in place since 2021. The timing suggests a possible link to the upcoming nuclear negotiations with the United States, set to begin Saturday.
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Iran’s nuclear chief announced late Wednesday that Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is expected to visit Tehran around April 20, likely to address unresolved issues related to monitoring Iran’s nuclear activities.
Mohammad Eslami gave no details about the purpose of Grossi’s trip, but the visit comes as Iran continues to restrict the UN watchdog’s access to its nuclear facilities—a limitation in place since 2021. The timing suggests a possible link to the upcoming nuclear negotiations with the United States, set to begin Saturday.
Eslami also underscored what he described as Iran’s nuclear progress, claiming the country has achieved uranium enrichment without any foreign assistance and is the only nation with a fully indigenous nuclear program.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday reiterated his warning that military action remains on the table if Iran refuses to halt its nuclear activities, adding that Israel would play a leading role in any such operation.
“I’m not asking for much … but they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters during a press event at the White House, following the signing of several executive orders. He warned that if diplomacy fails, military measures could follow.
“If it requires military, we're going to have military,” he said. “Israel will, obviously, be … the leader of that. No one leads us. We do what we want.”
Trump declined to give a timeline or specific conditions for when military action might occur, saying only, “When you start talks, you know if they’re going along well or not. And I would say the conclusion would be when I think they’re not going along well.”
The comments come just days after Trump made a surprise announcement that direct talks between Washington and Tehran are set to begin Saturday. He warned on Monday that Iran would face “great danger” if negotiations fail to produce a breakthrough on its nuclear program.
The Biden-era nuclear negotiations collapsed in 2022, and since returning to office, Trump has taken a more aggressive stance, demanding that Iran completely abandon its uranium enrichment efforts that have reached an alarming stage, with high levels of uranium enrichment. Tehran has continued to insist on its right to peaceful nuclear development.
US President Donald Trump said military action would "absolutely" be the alternative to a nuclear deal and that Israel would lead any attack should talks set to begin on Saturday fail.
"It's a start, we have a little time," he told reporters in the White House on Wednesday, referring to the negotiations in Oman. "But we don't have much time because we're not going to let them have a nuclear weapon."
"(Tehran is) in a rough situation - rough, rough regime - but they understand, and I'm not asking for much. They can't have a nuclear weapon," Trump added.
"With Iran, yeah, if it requires military, we're going to have military. Israel will obviously be very much involved in that. It'll be the leader of that. But nobody leads us. We do what we want to do."
The official website of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei posted a video on Wednesday titled "A strong Iran with an advanced nuclear industry" highlighting a past speech he made praising Tehran's capabilities.
"If you want a strong Iran—anyone who loves Iran, anyone who supports the Islamic Republic, anyone who cares for the nation and desires the strength of this country—must value and respect this area of scientific, research, industrial, and practical effort taking place here," Khamenei said in the June 2023 remarks.
"Everybody has to affirm that the nuclear industry is one of the pillars of the country’s status, strength and power."
