Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of Defense, delivered the keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, a major defense summit gathering officials from around the world. During his speech, he warned that the United States is 'more than capable' of resuming war with Iran if necessary, while also expressing 'rightful alarm' over China's military buildup but emphasizing that Washington does not seek 'needless confrontation'.
Hegseth's Remarks on Iran
Speaking on Saturday local time, Hegseth stated that the US could restart the war with Iran if it wanted to. 'Our ability to recommence if necessary is that we are more than capable, our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe because of how we balance exquisite and more plentiful munitions,' he said. This echoed a statement from US Central Command, which posted on X that American forces 'remain present and vigilant across the region.'
The comments came as President Donald Trump claimed to be on the verge of a peace deal with Iran, but Tehran denied any final agreement had been reached. The White House had signaled that Trump was close to a decision on an initial deal after weeks of mixed signals in tenuous negotiations. However, Trump emerged from the White House situation room after spending more than two hours with senior aides without immediately announcing his decision.
Efforts to strike a deal mediated by Pakistan were thrown into question this week by US strikes on the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, countered by retaliatory fire from Iran. Nevertheless, diplomacy continued, including a parallel process to stop fighting in Lebanon, which Iran has insisted be included in any formal end to the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israeli forces had advanced further, even as military delegations from both nations met at the Pentagon in Washington.
Hegseth's Remarks on China
Two weeks after Trump's meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, Hegseth also addressed China's military buildup. 'When we look across the region today, there is rightful alarm regarding China's historic military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,' he said. However, he stressed that Washington does not seek 'needless confrontation in the region' but rather 'a genuinely stable equilibrium in Asia that works for Americans as well as our allies.'
Hegseth added that this means 'a favorable but durable balance of power in which no state, including China, can impose its hegemony and hold the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies in question.' He said the US sought 'respectful' and 'good-faith' engagement with Beijing, adding, 'I wish my counterpart was here at this conference, but I look forward to other options when we can cross paths.'
Unlike Beijing, which sent a panel of military experts and scholars instead of Defense Minister Dong Jun for the second year running, Hegseth led a large US delegation to the event, which provides opportunities for both open debate and behind-closed-doors diplomacy.
Taiwan and Regional Balance
Regarding Taiwan, Hegseth said there had been 'no change' in Washington's stance, but 'any decision about future Taiwan arms sales will rest with' the US president. Analysts have noted that Dong's no-show reflects Beijing's confidence as an established power with little inclination to answer publicly for its assertive moves in the region. However, some argue that China is also running the risk of having no senior policymaker present if two major security issues arise: reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Beijing's claim to Taiwan.
In Beijing, Trump had talked up 'fantastic' trade deals but provided few details and later suggested that Washington could use its arms sales to Taiwan as a bargaining chip with Beijing.
