Iran Postpones Next Round of Nuke Talks After Hegseth Threat
Defense Secretary tries to prove to Trump every day that he's tough enough for the job
Iran announced Thursday that the fourth round of negotiations with the U.S. about its nuclear program will be postponed after Pete Hegseth, the embattled Defense Secretary, posted a threat on X, and Washington announced new sanctions against entities that use Iranian petroleum products.
SACHS: TRUMP SHOULD JUST START NAMING ISRAELIS FOR NSC POSITIONS
MACGREGOR: HEGSETH UNQUALIFIED
Hegseth was roundly mocked on X after posting a bizarre threat to Iran as though he envisions himself the lead actor in an action movie.
He wrote:
Message to IRAN:
We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis.
We know exactly what you are doing.
You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing.
We reported on the response he received from a top Iranian professor, but the post caught the attention of others.
Patrick Henningsen, the geopolitical analyst, posted: “Pete, you should really take a time out from Twitter. You are making a mockery of yourself and your office. Go back to flogging ghost writer books on Fox & Friends.”
Scott Ritter, the former UN weapons inspector, also posted: “You’re clearly not familiar with the concept of the ‘quiet professional.’”
The U.S. State Department issued a statement about the sanctions:
The Iranian regime continues to fuel conflict in the Middle East, advance its nuclear program, and support its terrorist partners and proxies. Today, the United States is taking action to stem the flow of revenue that the regime uses to fund these destabilizing activities. The Department of State is imposing sanctions on seven entities engaged in Iranian petroleum products and petrochemical products trade and is identifying two vessels as blocked property.