WASHINGTON
The US is monitoring the unfolding situation between Israel and Iran “in real time,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Saturday.
“I can assure you and the audience, we’re monitoring this in real time. The Defense Department has been tracking it at every level, and to include when it started and throughout,” Hegseth told Fox News.
His remarks came as Israel’s airstrikes on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks have raised fears of a broader regional conflict.
The US has “significant assets” in the region, Hegseth said. “We are robustly postured to ensure that our people, our bases, our interests, are safe.”
He said President Donald Trump prefers peace, and a solution to that conflict is resolved at the table.
“We’re vigilant. We’re prepared in a strong defensive posture, while the president continues to say to Iran, ‘Hey, you have an option for peace’ …They’re making their own decisions right now. We hope they would choose a negotiated option,” he added.
Israel launched a large-scale airstrike against Iran early Friday, targeting nuclear sites and missile bases, and killing senior military commanders and nuclear scientists.
Later that evening, Iran retaliated with a series of missile and drone attacks.
Iran says Israel has killed at least 78 people and wounded more than 320 others, as attacks continued on Saturday for a second day.
Trump on Friday urged Iran to make a deal over its nuclear program before it is too late.
The US has demanded Iran to scrap its uranium enrichment activities, which Western powers view as a pathway to building nuclear weapons.
