The United States will renew military action against Iran and reimpose its blockade if Tehran does not fulfill its commitments under its agreement with Washington, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters Thursday, ahead of planned talks to start hammering out a final US-Iran deal.

“The president has pointed out that we will be prepared to recommence if underneath the timeline of these talks, Iran does not do what it says it’s going to do,” Hegseth said in Brussels after meeting NATO defense ministers. “If Iran doesn’t comply, then we’re more than able to reimpose an ironclad blockade.”

The remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump put his signature on a memorandum of understanding with Iran — meant to end hostilities and kickstart full negotiations between the two countries — bringing its provisions into effect two days earlier than expected.

The MOU did not resolve any of the war goals declared by the US and Israel following their joint strikes that kicked off the war in February. Rather, it pushed off discussion of Iran’s nuclear program and other core issues to a 60-day negotiation period. Those talks are set to begin on Friday, in the Swiss resort town of Burgenstock.

The interim deal was defended by US officials, feted by Iran and welcomed by many countries with a stake in restoring calm to the region, despite the many loose ends that have yet to be resolved in the next two months of talks. It sparked broad concern in Israel.

Responding to domestic criticism of the memorandum, Trump derided skeptics as “jealous, bad people, or stupid,” in a post on Truth Social.

“These fools, who think I haven’t been tough enough on Iran, when the Stock Market Just Hit A RECORD HIGH, and Oil prices are ‘tumbling’ down, are either jealous, bad people, or stupid. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” he wrote.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian........

© The Times of Israel