Hegseth: Trump showed mercy towards Iran

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated that the United States could have paralyzed Iran's economy within minutes, but President Donald Trump "chose mercy."

According to Report, he made this statement at a press conference in Washington.

According to Hegseth, Trump had the option to deliver a much harsher blow but rejected that scenario. "President Trump could have paralyzed Iran"s entire economy in a matter of minutes, but he chose mercy," he said.

He also added that Iran agreed to a ceasefire "under enormous pressure," as it "had no options or time left."

In addition, the Pentagon chief emphasized that thanks to the United States, Iran will not be able to create nuclear weapons. "Other presidents said this. President Trump did it," Hegseth stated, reiterating Trump's position that there will be no uranium enrichment in Iran.

According to him, the United States has always maintained a principled position on Iran"s nuclear program. "Iran must not possess nuclear capabilities. These [nuclear] facilities are now concealed, and we are monitoring them. We know exactly what they have, and they understand that. Iran will either hand over the enriched uranium voluntarily, or we will obtain it ourselves, take it, and remove it," Hegseth said.

The Secretary of War also stated that Iran's new leadership "understands the impossibility of possessing or developing nuclear weapons."

"This is a new group of people who have seen the full potential of the US armed forces and are reassessing what it means to negotiate with us. That is why they agreed to negotiations. The new leadership is already acting with a different approach," Hegseth concluded.

On the night of April 8, 2026, Iran, the United States, and their allies reached an agreement on a two-week ceasefire. Iran also stated that during this period, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would be ensured in coordination with its armed forces and taking into account technical limitations.