Hegseth says U.S. effort to address Iran's nuclear ambitions will send 'plenty of signals' amid N.K. criticism

▲ U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon near Washington on March 4, 2026, in this photo released by the Associated Press. (Yonhap)

Hegseth-N Korea

Hegseth says U.S. effort to address Iran's nuclear ambitions will send 'plenty of signals' amid N.K. criticism

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, March 4 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that U.S. efforts to deal with Iran's nuclear ambitions will send "plenty of signals," as he addressed a question related to North Korea's criticism of the ongoing U.S. military operation against the Islamic Republic.

Hegseth made the remarks during a press briefing on the military operation, codenamed "Operation Epic Fury," which kicked off in coordination with Israel on Saturday.

"As it pertains to other countries ... they don't really bear on the case of Iran," the secretary said. "We're going to deal with Iran's nuclear ambitions, and that will send plenty of signals in the process."

On Sunday, Pyongyang condemned the U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran as an "unlawful" act and a violation of sovereignty.

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