Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis dismissed a recent report suggesting the Trump administration was preparing to launch attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities as “fiction.”
The report cited Australian government officials, who claimed that the U.S. is laying the groundwork to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities as soon as several weeks from now, ABC News reported this week.
“I have no idea where the Australian news people got that information,” Mattis told reporters Friday. “I am confident it’s something that’s not being considered right now.”
“It’s fiction,” Mattis added.
The report came after Trump warned Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday to “never, ever threaten” the U.S. and to remain “cautious.” The comments came after Rouhani claimed war with Iran “is the mother of all wars,” but that peace with Iran “is the mother of all peace.”
The Trump administration withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May. The deal put restraints on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling sanctions, but Trump said it was a “horrible, one-sided deal” that would have prompted a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
Mattis also addressed relations with North Korea and said efforts to coordinate with North Korea on returning remains of U.S. troops killed during the Korean War were successful and a “step in the right direction.
“All of that went well and I think when you have that sort of communication going on, it sets a positive environment, a positive tone for other things, more important things in terms of international diplomacy, but this humanitarian act obviously is a step in the right direction,” Mattis said.
The response came after he was asked if the gesture gave Mattis more confidence that North Korea will commit to denuclearization.
Mattis also left the door open that U.S. military personnel may be sent to North Korea to conduct a search mission for additional remains.
“That is certainly under consideration,” Mattis said. “Absolutely.”
On Friday, a U.S. Air Force plane landed in South Korea with what are believed to be the remains of fallen soldiers from the Korean War. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to return the remains after he met with Trump last month in Singapore.
“I want to thank Chairman Kim for keeping his word. We have many others coming, but I want to thank Chairman Kim in front of the media for fulfilling a promise that he made to me, and I’m sure that he will continue to fulfill that promise as they search and search and search,” Trump said at the White House Friday.
