India, June 17 -- United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the US is postured defensively in the Middle East region as the conflict between Iran and Israel escalates. He added that the United States President Donald Trump is still seeking to strike a nuclear deal with Iran despite the ongoing tensions.

Hegseth made the remarks while talking to Fox News. When asked whether Trump was still aiming to reach a nuclear deal with Iran, Hegseth responded with, "Of course".

He added that the US is postured defensively in the conflict zone in pursuit of a peace deal.

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"We are postured defensively in the region to be strong in pursuit of a peace deal. And we certainly hope that's what...