US defense chief: Iran must quickly choose deal or face military action

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran must quickly choose between reaching a deal or facing war.

Hegseth, as quoted by Al Arabiya, added that Iran must also abandon its nuclear ambitions or face devastating military action.

The US defense secretary continued: "If Iran wastes the opportunity for a deal, we will bring destruction upon it swiftly."

In a related development, US President Donald Trump said earlier that he rules out deploying ground forces inside Iran as part of efforts to address ongoing tensions, noting that Iran has requested a halt to US attacks and that negotiations are ongoing.

Asked about reports suggesting he is considering the use of the "Mother of All Bombs" after the US midterm elections, Trump responded: "The Mother of All Bombs is not a nuclear weapon."

He added: "It is an extremely large bomb, similar to a small nuclear bomb, but the Mother of All Bombs is just one big bomb, not nuclear. We will not use nuclear weapons; there is no need for that."