WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump prefers a negotiated settlement with Iran, the US defense secretary said Monday, calling on Tehran to take the deal offered by Washington.

“The president has been clear to Iran: he wants a negotiated settlement. I think it would be a wise choice for them to take him up on that deal,” Pete Hegseth said during a nationwide “Arsenal of Freedom” tour stop in Bath, Maine.

Hegseth said the administration’s diplomatic preference is backed by what he described as unmatched US military capabilities.

“The world saw America’s capabilities. Peace through strength, deterrence in action. We were out of Iran before Iran even knew we were there. No other country can do that,” referring to the US strikes on Iran during the 12-day war last June.

The remarks came as Iran and the US prepare for the next round of negotiations, which resumed in Oman on Friday after a nearly eight-month suspension.

The indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington were halted following the conflict last June, during which the US targeted three key Iranian nuclear sites.