Washington, 24 Mar

US President Donald Trump said that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was the “first one” to suggest attacking Iran when he discussed the "problem in the Middle East" with his close aides.

Speaking at the Memphis Safe Task Force Roundtable in Tennessee, on Monday, Trump said he called all his aides, including Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Air Force Gen Dan Caine, to discuss the situation in Iran before making the decision.

“I called Pete, I called General Caine. I called a lot of our great people… And I said, ‘Let’s talk. We got a problem in the Middle East. We have a country, known as Iran, that for 47 years has been just a purveyor of terror, and they’re very close to having a nuclear weapon. We can keep going and get that 50,000 up to 55 and 60, there’s no end, or we can take a stop and make a little journey into the Middle East and eliminate a big problem,” Trump said.

Trump, who is facing backlash in his country over the issue, praised Hegseth for his quick response on the issue.

“Pete, I think you were the first one to speak up and you said let’s do it because you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

Earlier, Trump said on social media that he has extended the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the strategically-located shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and that he will hold off strikes against Iranian energy sites for five days.

The US president, without sharing any details, also said that there have been "productive conversations" between the US and Iran for "complete and total resolution" to the conflict in West Asia.

Iran has denied Trump’s claim, calling it “fake news.”

 “No negotiations have been held with the US, and fake news is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped,” posted on social media.

Meanwhile, a large explosion at an oil refinery near the Texas coast on Monday shot plumes of smoke into the air and forced nearby residents to shelter in place, according to officials.

No one was injured in the explosion at the Valero refinery in Port Arthur, about 145 kilometres east of Houston, Mayor Charlotte M. Moses said. She urged residents in parts of the west side of the city to stay put, saying fire fighters had arrived.