Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that President Donald Trump has “compel options” if Iran does not remove or destroy all of its uranium as stated in the proposed peace plan to end the monthslong war.Speaking with CBS News’s Face the Nation, Hegseth was asked if ground troops would be used to remove the so-called nuclear dust from Iran, an action Trump has said would follow any agreement between Washington and Tehran.Hegseth disputed the idea that U.S. troops would be involved in cleaning up Iran’s uranium supply, rather emphasizing that Trump has plans for how to handle what he calls Tehran’s “nuclear dust.”
“We have plans for everything,” Hegseth said. “Should the president need a compel option, we have compel options and many different types of compel options.”
Hegseth added that the proposed peace deal “sets the conditions” for a 60-day window to negotiate how Iran will dispose of its remaining uranium supply, roughly 440 kilograms’ worth.
Hegseth did not elaborate on what “compel options” are, nor whether they would include added military or economic pressure on Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that the plan for Iran’s nuclear program would be negotiated and finalized within 60 days of the agreement to end the war, adding that both sides could extend the window to figure out the technicalities of removing the material.
