MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Florida, June 10 - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that U.S. forces would execute orders from President Donald Trump and carry out strikes on Iran on Wednesday aimed at "key facilities." The remarks came after Hegseth was briefed by commanders at the U.S. Central Command headquarters in Florida.
Hegseth said Iran had been presented with an opportunity to strike a deal but had not taken it. "We will hit them hard on our terms on the targets that improve the environment for us to operate in and undermine the capabilities that Iran wants to have," he told reporters.
The defense secretary's comments followed a statement from President Trump that the United States would strike Iran again if a peace deal is not secured, a warning that raises the prospect of further escalation after what was described as one of the most significant exchanges of hostilities in two months.
Speaking about Iran's behavior, Hegseth said: "As President Trump said, they’ve been tap, tap, tapping," referring to Tehran. He added: "You can see when someone’s trying to tap, tap, tap on a deal, instead they’re going to have tap, tap, tap bombs dropping on key facilities in Iran from the United States of America."
Hegseth accused Iran of "choosing to play games" and stated bluntly: "If we need to negotiate with bombs, we’ll negotiate with bombs, and we’re very good at it."
Those comments outline planned U.S. military action tied explicitly to directives from the president and framed as measures intended to alter the operational environment and reduce capabilities that Iran is seeking to develop. Hegseth's remarks came directly after a commanders' briefing at Central Command, where military leadership provided situational updates to the defense secretary.
The announcement signals a near-term kinetic response contingent on political decisions about a proposed deal, with U.S. officials tying the prospect of further strikes to whether a peace agreement is reached.
Summary
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said forces would bomb "key facilities" in Iran on Wednesday under orders from President Donald Trump, after Iran declined an offered deal. The strikes, Hegseth said, will be aimed at degrading capabilities Iran seeks and improving the U.S. operating environment.