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US President Donald Trump said the standoff with Iran will end 'very soon one way or the other,' suggesting the US could either strike a deal or 'blow up' Iran. Separately, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told troops at Quantico that American forces had already 'destroyed' Iran's navy, air force, defense systems and military-industrial capacity, claiming Iran's conventional military shield was crippled and its nuclear ambitions curtailed. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte added that US action against Iran's nuclear program was 'absolutely essential,' calling Tehran's nuclear ambitions a threat extending to Europe. The comments reflect an intensifying war of words between Washington and Tehran amid an ongoing standoff whose military and diplomatic resolution remains uncertain. Hegseth's claims of having 'destroyed' Iran's military come amid a broader US defense shake-up, while Trump's remarks keep open the possibility of further military action or a negotiated settlement.