US to defend its assets in Middle East: Pentagon chief

‘My job as secretary of defense is to ensure our people are safe and that we are strong,' says Pete Hegseth

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US will defend its assets in the Middle East amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday.

"We're vigilant, we're prepared, and we've messaged consistently from the beginning that we're in the region to defend our people and our assets," Hegseth told Fox News.

"Right now, we've got assets in the region, and we're going to defend them," he told Fox.

He added that President Donald Trump hopes there could be peace.

"My job as secretary of defense is to ensure our people are safe and that we are strong, so that we can set the conditions for a deal. President Trump has made it clear that it's on the table. The question is whether Iran will take it," he said.

Hegseth said earlier that over the weekend, he directed the deployment of additional capabilities to the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.

Kaynak:

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