Pete Hegseth’s Iran peace deal U-turn has everyone reeling, and his chilling warning proves one thing is still on the table

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has signaled a surprising shift, now stating he would welcome a U.S.-led negotiated peace deal with Iran, despite President Trump’s earlier indication that Hegseth was “disappointed” by the very idea. However, the secretary quickly warned that the Pentagon will keep “negotiating with bombs” in the meantime, as reported by The Hill.

President Trump had previously made it pretty clear that Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were the “only two people that were quite disappointed” at the prospect of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran potentially winding down. The president had remarked, following the swearing-in of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, that he thought the situation would be “settled very soon,” and that Hegseth wasn’t interested in a settlement, but rather “just winning this thing.”

Fast forward to a White House Cabinet meeting, and Hegseth’s tone certainly seemed to have pivoted. He stated his appreciation for special envoy Steve Witkoff’s efforts to negotiate with Tehran, adding, “we pray for a deal, and we welcome a deal and we have the ultimate dealmaker to make it happen.”

Hegseth’s enthusiasm for a deal came with a pretty stark caveat

“But in the meantime, as I said yesterday, the Department of War will continue negotiating with bombs. War is negotiation by other means,” the Pentagon head stated. During the Cabinet meeting, President Trump also chimed in on the ongoing reports of U.S. negotiations with Iran. He insisted that it’s Tehran, not Washington, that’s “begging” for a deal. The president pointed out that “anyone who saw what’s happening over there would understand why they want to make a deal,” suggesting the current military actions are having a significant effect.

Iran, for its part, has denied any negotiations with the Trump administration, even as the conflict in the Middle East enters its fourth week. However, Pakistani mediators have confirmed that a U.S. proposal was indeed delivered to the Iranians, which certainly complicates Iran’s denials.

The U.S. military has been quite active, too. Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, provided an update on Wednesday, revealing that the U.S. military has struck over 10,000 targets inside Iran. He also noted that two-thirds of the country’s naval, missile, and drone production sites have been destroyed.

Hegseth reiterated on Thursday that President Trump has given them a “clear mission.” He confidently stated, “Our capabilities are only going up, and Iran’s are plummeting. We are here to win, and we’re full speed ahead.” He also made sure to mention during the Cabinet meeting that the conflict, known as Operation Epic Fury, is not “an endless war.”