Ashton Carter: Absent Iran nuclear deal, military option will ‘remain on the table’

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter says the use of military force against Iran will be an option if a deal cannot be reached over limiting the Persian nation’s nuclear program.

With the clock ticking on tonight’s deadline for an agreement, negotiators are struggling to find common ground.

In an interview Tuesday with NBC’s “Today” show, Mr. Carter said that if the United States, Iran and the five other nations involved in the talks cannot strike a deal, then “the military option certainly will remain on the table.”

“If there is a good agreement to have, obviously it is worth waiting for and completing the negotiations,” he said.

Asked whether Iranian officials can be trusted to follow through on a deal if one is reached, he said, “Like any agreement, it can’t be based on trust. It has to be based on verification.”

Mr. Carter, who replaced Chuck Hagel earlier this year as the fourth defense secretary under President Obama, also said the United States and its international allies have inflicted a lot of damage against the Islamic State and can defeat the radical group — though “it will take some time.”

“We are still building the coalition and we are still building the forces, and that is why I am hesitant to say we are winning,” he said. “I am confident we will win.”