US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said that the next days of the Iran war will be "decisive" while refusing to rule out US ground forces playing a role in the conflict.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday his country had the "necessary will" to end the ongoing war with Israel and the United States, but is seeking guarantees that the conflict would not be repeated.
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"We possess the necessary will to end this conflict, provided that essential conditions are met, especially the guarantees required to prevent repetition of the aggression," Pezeshkian said in a phone conversation with the president of the European Council, according to a statement from his office, reiterating a key demand of Tehran's.
António Costa said in a social media post after that call that “the current situation in the Middle East is extremely dangerous” and urged Iran to de-escalate.
“To de-escalate the situation, I urged Iran to stop the unacceptable attacks on countries in the region and to engage positively on the diplomatic track, notably with the UN to ensure the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote on X.
Pezeshkian's comments come on the same day that US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said that the next days of the Iran war will be "decisive" while refusing to rule out US ground forces playing a role in the conflict.
"The upcoming days will be decisive. Iran knows that, and there's almost nothing they can militarily do about it," Hegseth said.
The Pentagon chief said talks on ending the war were making progress even as the more than month-long US-Israeli military campaign against the Islamic republic continued.
"They are very real. They are ongoing, they are active, and I think, gaining strength," Hegseth said of the negotiations.
But asked about concerns among some of President Donald Trump's base about the possible use of ground troops in Iran, Hegseth declined to commit.
"You can't fight and win a war if you tell your adversary what you are willing to do, or what you are not willing to do, to include boots on the ground," he said.
Hegseth’s remarks about the status of peace talks echo a statement from the White House on Monday which said peace talks with Iran are ongoing and progressing well and what Tehran says publicly differs from what it tells US officials in private meetings.
"Despite all of the public posturing you hear from the regime and false reporting, talks are continuing and going well. What is said publicly is, of course, much different than what's being communicated to us privately," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing.
Trump lashes out
Meanwhile, earlier on Tuesday Trump expressed his frustration towards allies that have been unwilling to help the US reopen the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz by force, stating that countries upset by high fuel prices should "go get your own oil."
“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the USA won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Trump's comments came on the same day that gas prices in the US jumped past an average of $4 (€3.48) for the first time since 2022 as fuel prices continue to spike worldwide.