Washington: The US Secretary of Defense reiterated on Sunday that the United States hopes to adopt a diplomatic solution to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, but if it fails, the military is ready to “go deeper and go bigger.”

U.S. and Iranian diplomats held indirect talks in Oman Saturday to address Western concerns about Iran’s nuclear program.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth described Oman’s first tentative contact as “productivity” and “a good step.”

He told CBS “Facing the country,” while President Donald Trump hopes that military choices will never have to be taken, “we have shown a long ability to go deeper and go further.”

“Again, we don’t want to do this, but we will prevent nuclear bombs in Iran’s hands if needed.”

Trump said on Wednesday that the combination of military operations and Israel would be “absolute” if Oman negotiations fail.

“If military is needed, we will be military,” he told reporters. “Israel will obviously be very involved and become a leader.”

This is a blunt warning issued in late March, “If they don’t reach an agreement, it will explode.”

Trump withdrew a transnational nuclear deal between the United States and Iran in his first term in 2018.

Analysts say Iran may only have a few weeks to produce deliverable nuclear weapons now – although Tehran denies that it is building such weapons.