US Defense Secretary Says Military Options Against Iran Presented to Trump, Ready for Execution

Cannot Disclose Plans to Support Israel

Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense, stated that he has presented President Donald Trump with several military options that the United States could take against Iran and that the U.S. is prepared to act. However, he said he could not disclose whether the U.S. military plans to support Israel's airstrikes.

According to the Associated Press and other sources, Secretary Hegseth made these remarks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on June 18 (local time).

Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Secretary Hegseth said that "maximum force protection is being provided" to U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East, and that whether to provide Israel with the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), an air-dropped bunker-buster bomb capable of striking Iran's underground Fordow nuclear facility, would be President Trump's decision. This means that the military options prepared by the U.S. include both the bunker-buster and support from strategic bombers.

To strike the Fordow nuclear facility with a bunker-buster, the U.S. would have to deliver it using a B-2 stealth strategic bomber. This would mean direct involvement in the war. Iran has stated that it would launch a powerful retaliation if the U.S. intervenes, which could lead to a full-scale escalation.

The United States has deployed fighter jets and aircraft carriers to the Middle East and has also dispatched aerial refueling aircraft. In this regard, Secretary Hegseth said these measures are intended to protect U.S. troops and air bases.

Secretary Hegseth said, "They (Iran) should have reached an agreement. President Trump's words carry meaning in themselves, and the entire world understands this well," adding, "The mission of the Department of Defense is to be fully prepared and to have a range of options ready." He continued, "I believe we have already reestablished deterrence in several respects," and added, "The question is which direction things will go in the coming days."

Secretary Hegseth said that he is preparing various options for President Trump and that it is his duty to inform the President of these options and their consequences.

Democratic senators urged Secretary Hegseth to proceed with caution. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said, "The Trump administration must take urgent action to prevent a larger war."