Washington, April 8, The United States has made clear that Iran will never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth calling it a “non-negotiable” condition under the emerging ceasefire framework.
“It’s always been non-negotiable that they won’t have nuclear capabilities,” Hegseth said, outlining Washington’s red line as talks move forward following weeks of military confrontation.
The statement comes amid intensified US scrutiny of Iran’s remaining nuclear material, which officials say is currently being monitored closely after large-scale strikes on Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure.
“Right now, it’s buried, and we’re watching it… we know exactly what they have,” Hegseth said.
He said Iran would be required to hand over any enriched material or face further action.
“They will either give it to us… or if we have to do something else ourselves… we reserve that opportunity,” he said.
The Pentagon indicated that the US is prepared to remove the material “by any means necessary,” underscoring the firmness of its position on preventing Iran from rebuilding its nuclear capability.
Officials said recent operations had already degraded Iran’s nuclear infrastructure significantly. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine said nearly 80 per cent of Iran’s nuclear industrial base had been hit during the campaign.
The US military action, part of 'Operation Epic Fury', targeted facilities linked to missile production, drone manufacturing and nuclear development, alongside command and control networks.
Hegseth said the pressure created by these strikes forced Iran to reconsider its position.
“They know this agreement means that they will never, ever possess a nuclear weapon,” he said.
He also pointed to a shift in Iran’s leadership dynamics, suggesting that the current leadership has recalibrated its approach after witnessing the scale of US military capability.
“This new regime… has a new calculus about what it means to negotiate with us,” Hegseth said.
US officials said the nuclear issue would remain central to any long-term deal, with compliance to be enforced through continued monitoring and military readiness.
“We’re watching it… we’ll get it, we’ll take it if we have to,” Hegseth reiterated.
The administration has signalled that failure to comply could trigger renewed strikes similar to earlier operations targeting Iranian facilities.
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