WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is planning to hold talks with Iran.

"I have had (conversations with Iran in the last few days), and I am planning on it," he told reporters at the Kennedy Center.

Trump reiterated that "a lot of very big, very powerful" ships are sailing to Iran right now.

"It would be great if we didn't have to use them," he said.

Asked what message he shared with Iran, Trump said: “I told them two things: number one, no nuclear, and number two, stop killing protesters.”

Earlier Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US is prepared to use "all options" to prevent Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons, while emphasizing that Washington is still leaving room for a diplomatic deal.

"When President Trump said we're not getting a nuclear Iran, you won't have a nuclear bomb, he meant it. And we sent those B-2s halfway around the world and then they never noticed. When he said we're not going to tolerate trafficking drugs anymore in our hemisphere, we treat them like the al-Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere, he meant it, and we're executing that. When you said, Mr. President, we're securing the border, the military was proud to do their part alongside Homeland Security. Same thing with Iran right now, ensuring that they have all the options to make a deal, that they should not pursue nuclear capabilities," Hegseth said at a Cabinet meeting along with Trump.

Hegseth stressed that the Pentagon stands ready to carry out any directives issued by Trump, signaling that military options remain firmly on the table if diplomacy fails.

"We will be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects of the War Department, just like we did this month," he said, referring to the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Jan. 3.

Iranian officials, meanwhile, have reacted strongly to the latest threat issued by Trump as a US military fleet moves toward Iranian waters amid escalating tensions between the longtime adversaries.