They are prepared ‘to resume operations at short notice,’ the War Secretary stated.
On Wednesday, U.S. War Defense Pete Hegseth said his country will maintain its military presence in the Middle East despite the ceasefire with Iran.
“We will remain in the region. We are not going anywhere. We will make sure Iran complies with this ceasefire and ultimately comes to the negotiating table to reach an agreement,” Hegseth said at a news conference at the Pentagon.
Tehran should “find a way to send a carrier pigeon” to its troops in remote areas so they know “not to fire or continue launching attacks or unilateral missiles,” something he insisted would be “highly imprudent.”
“Ceasefires sometimes take time to take effect. We are monitoring the situation and prepared if necessary, but we hope and trust it will hold,” Hegseth reiterated.
On Tuesday night, Iran and the United States agreed to pause hostilities for two weeks, a period during which they will negotiate an end to a war that began Feb. 28.
The basis of the negotiations will be a 10-point plan presented by Tehran, which will serve as the foundation for talks scheduled for Friday in Islamabad, where the government of Pakistan will also be present.
However, it is not clear how the presence of thousands of U.S. troops in the Middle East will affect the course of the talks. Meanwhile, the U.S. War Secretary continued to boast about an alleged “resounding victory” over Iran.
“They can no longer manufacture missiles, rockets, or unmanned aerial vehicles. Their factories have been razed to the ground, suffering a setback of historic proportions. What little they have left, buried in bunkers, is all they will have,” Hegseth said.
“Our troops are prepared to defend themselves, prepared to go on the offensive and prepared to resume operations at short notice, employing whatever target packages are necessary to ensure that Iran complies with what has been agreed,” the U.S. War Secretary said.
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
