Pentagon chief says US ready to restart strikes on Iran if no deal

The US is ready to restart attacks on Iran if a deal cannot be reached, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday, as negotiators from Washington and Tehran worked to bridge major differences blocking an agreement. "Our ability to recommence if necessary...we are more than capable," Hegseth said in Singapore. "Our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe, so we're in a very good place," he added. Hegseth, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier forum for defence leaders, militaries and diplomats, said the US has not "turned its back" on the Asia-Pacific region despite being engaged in conflict with Iran. "We can do two things at one time. We're super-charging our defence industrial base so that we're building 2X, 3X, 4X the munitions very soon to ensure that all of our (operations) plans are properly funded throughout the world," he said. US Navy warns mariners to avoid Strait of Hormuz due to mine threat The US Navy Central Command issued an urgent maritime advisory on Friday, warning ship owners, operators and mariners about dangerous military operations underway in the Strait of Hormuz north of Oman's Musandam Peninsula. The Joint Maritime Information Centre advisory, dated May 29, rated the regional threat level as "CRITICAL," citing Iranian attempts to illegally control the strategic waterway through what it described as dangerous and illegal mining that endangers ships and crews. All mariners were advised to avoid the Strait's Traffic Separation Scheme and instead coordinate their passage with US Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping. It also urged vessels to remain in constant radio contact with naval authorities and comply immediately with instructions from US forces. The advisory noted a sharp warning that any vessel observed engaged in or supporting mine-laying activities would be targeted by US forces in self-defence. Trump 'will only make a deal that is good for America' with Iran: White House A White House official said on Friday that US President Donald Trump would only pursue an Iran nuclear agreement on American terms, following a lengthy meeting in the Situation Room. "President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his redlines," the official told Anadolu. The official said the high-level meeting lasted approximately two hours and reaffirmed the administration's firm stance on Tehran's nuclear ambitions. "Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon," the official added. It came amid US-Iran nuclear negotiations, with Washington maintaining that any agreement must meet strict conditions set by the president. Trump wrote earlier on his Truth Social platform that he would meet officials at the White House to make a "final determination" on a proposed deal to end the war with Iran. He outlined several elements he said were included in the proposal, including an Iranian commitment to never obtain a nuclear weapon and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted commercial shipping.