U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters in Singapore on Saturday that President Donald Trump remains "laser‑focused" on clinching a diplomatic agreement with Iran, even as the Strait of Hormuz stays volatile. While the administration hopes to extend the fragile cease‑fire and reopen the waterway, Hegseth warned that the United States is ready to resume force if talks collapse.

Trump’s “great deal” demand and the 60‑day negotiation window

The Pentagon official said the White House is aiming for a framework that would keep the cease‑fire ,reopen the Strait of Hormuz and create a sixty‑day window for deeper talks on Tehran’s nuclear program. He cited a two‑hour Situation Room meeting with senior advisers that examined the proposal, though no final decision was announced. According to the report, any agreement must satisfy Trump’s red line of a permanent ban on Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon.

U.S. military posture: “postured even stronger today”

Hegseth emphasized that U.S. stockpiles are “more than suited” for renewed operations, and that the military is “postured even stronger today than we were on day one.” He reiterated that the United States maintains a naval blockade in the Strait while negotiations proceed, and that the force is ready to act if diplomatic efforts fail.. This statement comes as Oman’s Maritime Security Centre warned of a suspected floating naval mine in the waterway.

Iran’s response: focus on ending the war, not nuclear details

Iranian officials pushed back, saying they are concentrating on ending the war and are not discussing the nuclear plan in detail. They expressed distrust of guarantees and insisted that only concrete actions matter. The disparity between Tehran’s stated priorities and Washington’s demand for a “great deal for our country and the security of the world” highlights the diplomatic gap.

What remains unclear: Tehran’s willingness to meet U.S. red lines

Two specific questions linger: first, whether Iran will accept a permanent prohibition on nuclear weapons, and second, how quickly the Strait of Hormuz can be fully reopened and cleared of mines. the source notes that Trump has said a final determination will be made, but no formal decision has emerged from the Situation Room meting.

Historical echo: the 1979‑2003 U.S.‑Iran disengagement pattern

The current push mirrors past U.S. attempts to combine diplomatic overtures with a credible threat of force, such as the 1979‑2003 disengagement era when the United States alternated between sanctions, naval presence, and intermittent talks. As Hegseth put it, the United States is “willing to lay down its life” to ensure Iran never attains a nuclear bomb – a rhetoric reminiscent of Cold War brinkmanship but applied to a 21st‑century nuclear context.