Washington, DC – US Defense Secretary Pete Haigset on Sunday described President Donald Trump’s recent remarks about the unprecedented scale of a potential new attack on Iran as “truth.” Haigset wrote on Twitter on Monday, retweeting a video of President Trump’s speech: “Truth.” In that speech, the US president confirmed that the planned attack would have been “the largest attack since World War II.” He called off the attack in a statement issued Saturday night. He added that the attack would have had devastating consequences for the Islamic Republic.
Trump made these remarks in a conversation with reporters on Sunday. He added that negotiations with the Islamic Republic would begin on Monday. The US Secretary of Defense continued his message. He asserted, “The US Department of Defense was, and remains, prepared to act at a level not seen since World War II.” He also emphasized that US forces are “fully prepared and equipped” to take any action against Iran if necessary.
In his remarks, Trump expressed his desire to resolve the current crisis with Iran through negotiations. He explained that “it would save a lot of lives and a lot of unnecessary energy and power, frankly.” He said, “We faced an attack that could have been the largest since World War II, and it would have been catastrophic for them.” He continued, “They didn’t want us to do it, and frankly, Saudi Arabia didn’t want us to either.” Furthermore, he indicated that the parties believed an agreement was imminent. This agreement concerns the Strait of Hormuz and, ultimately, the denuclearization of Iran.
Previously, US media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and CBS News, reported that the United States was planning major attacks against Iran. According to CBS News, Washington and Israel were planning what could have been one of the most intense bombing campaigns against Iranian energy facilities to date. However, diplomatic efforts and contacts with regional allies led to the suspension of these strikes. Eventually, these efforts paved the way for negotiations.
