Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sidestepped questions Wednesday about possible American military action against Iran as President Donald Trump continued to dangle the idea of the U.S. getting directly involved in Israel's military campaign against the Islamic Republic.
During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Hegseth was asked by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., whether U.S. military action is being considered.
"Most of what I can or should say would be reserved for a classified setting," Hegseth responded. "Obviously, any decisions on this matter are at the presidential level."
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Pressed again by Shaheen on whether he's been asked to provide Trump with military options, Hegseth said he "wouldn't disclose that in this forum."
"Our job -- the chairman [of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] and I -- at all times is to make sure the president has options, is informed of what those options might be, and what the ramifications of those options might be," he added.
The hearing -- Hegseth's fourth and final appearance before Congress in a week -- came as Israel and Iran have been exchanging missile fire in a conflict that is raising fears of an all-out war in the Middle East.
Late last week, Israel began its largest-ever military operation against Iran in a move that it maintains is necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The operation has killed top Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists, and damaged key nuclear facilities.
Iran, which maintains its nuclear program is peaceful -- and which U.S. intelligence publicly assessed as recently as March as not having decided to build a nuclear weapon -- has responded with its own missile barrages against Israel.
Israel has reportedly been pushing the U.S. to join its campaign against Iran, particularly by providing its so-called bunker-buster bomb, called the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, to demolish Iran's underground Fordo nuclear enrichment facility.
That bomb can be dropped only by U.S. B-2 Spirit aircraft, which would put U.S. troops directly into the conflict.
Asked Wednesday whether destroying Fordo would lengthen or shorten the overall conflict, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, who was testifying alongside Hesgseth, demurred.
"I can't split that hair, given the complexities of the war that's ongoing there," Caine said.
For his part, Trump has been both cryptic and threatening about his intentions.
At the same time Hegseth was testifying Wednesday, Trump told reporters that he "may do it or [he] may not" strike Iranian nuclear facilities.
"Nobody knows what I'm going to do," Trump said.
The president also revealed that Iran recently reached out to try to negotiate, but suggested the time may have passed for negotiations.
"I said it's very late to be talking," Trump said. "There's a big difference between now and a week ago, right? Big difference."
During his first term, Trump tore up a nuclear deal with Iran that had been negotiated by former President Barack Obama. Prior to Israel's strikes on Iran last week, he was trying to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran, a deal that reportedly was poised to look very similar to the one he scuttled.
Trump's Wednesday comments came after a series of saber-rattling posts on his Truth Social social media website Tuesday. Among his posts, he said that "we" -- seemingly implying U.S. involvement -- "now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran." He also posted a demand for "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!"
Despite the posts, U.S. officials said Tuesday the military remained in a defensive posture.
Asked Wednesday about his call for unconditional surrender from Iran, Trump said the post meant that "I've had it. OK, I've had it. I give up. No more."
Iran has threatened retaliation if the U.S. gets involved in the conflict. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that "any military involvement by the U.S. in this field will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage for them," according to The Associated Press.
Any Iranian retaliation could put the thousands of U.S. troops spread across the Middle East in the crosshairs, and The New York Times reported Tuesday that Iran is preparing for strikes on U.S. bases in the region if the U.S. joins Israel's military campaign.
The escalating conflict has alarmed some in Congress. Earlier this week, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., introduced a resolution in the Senate and Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., introduced a resolution in the House that would prevent U.S. military action against Iran without explicit congressional approval.
Defense hawks, though, are cheering on Israel's operations and pushing for U.S. involvement.
"Iran's military and leadership is in complete disarray right now because of the bold actions by Israel," Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, before pressing Hegseth on whether now is the time to "reestablish deterrence against this terrorist regime by making sure one way or the other they never have the capacity to enrich or produce a nuclear bomb."
Hegseth responded by noting Trump previously gave Iran a 60-day deadline to either agree to a nuclear deal or face military action.
"At the Defense Department, our job is to stand ready and prepared with options, and that's precisely what we're doing," Hegseth said. "The question is, in the coming days, exactly which direction that goes."
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