Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore—Asia's premier forum for defense leaders, militaries, and diplomats—Hegseth issued the warning as negotiators from Washington and Tehran scramble to bridge major differences blocking a final accord.

Hegseth emphasized that the American military remains highly capable of pivoting back to offensive operations immediately if diplomatic efforts collapse.

"Our ability to recommence if necessary...we are more than capable," Hegseth stated. "Our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe, so we're in a very good place," he added.

The defense chief clarified that the deployment has not forced the U.S. to turn its back on the Asia-Pacific region. To maintain its global presence, the Pentagon is rapidly accelerating its domestic weapon production.

"We can do two things at one time. We're super-charging our defence industrial base so that we're building 2X, 3X, 4X the munitions very soon to ensure that all of our (operations) plans are properly funded throughout the world," Hegseth said.

According to the Pentagon chief, President Donald Trump remains "patient" and is determined to secure a "great deal" that permanently ensures Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.

The warning comes just one day after President Trump announced a pivotal high-level review to prevent a resurgence of open warfare.

On Friday, Trump said he would meet in a secure White House room to make a "final determination" on a proposal to end the Iran war.

The proposed deal would extend an early-April truce for another 60 days, giving international negotiators the necessary time to forge a permanent end to the conflict.

The war, launched by the U.S. and Israel on February 28, has already killed thousands of people, primarily in Iran and Lebanon.

Beyond the heavy human toll, the conflict has inflicted severe global economic pain, driving up international energy prices due to Iran's effective closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.