Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that Iran made a mistake when it failed to negotiate a new nuclear deal with President Trump, and U.S. forces are prepared to join Israel’s military attack if needed.

The specter of U.S. involvement in Israel’s bombing of Iran’s military sites hung over a Senate hearing on the Defense Department’s 2026 budget.

Mr. Hegseth declined to reveal specific plans the U.S. military is making as Mr. Trump weighs a strike on Iran, but said Tehran should have adhered to Mr. Trump’s 60-day deadline.

“They should have made a deal. President Trump’s word means something,” Mr. Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “The world understands that. And at the Defense Department, our job is to stand ready and prepared with options, and that’s precisely what we’re doing.”

Mr. Trump told reporters Wednesday the Iranians “want to negotiate.” The president said he asked the Iranian leaders why they waited.

The country has been under constant bombing attacks from Israel since Friday, and has lost control of its own airspace. Iran has launched waves of retaliatory ballistic missile attacks against Israel, but Tehran is largely believed to be losing ground in the conflict due to Israel’s control of Iran’s skies.

The Israelis are “striking at will at this point,” General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers Wednesday.

Mr. Trump hedged on U.S. involvement.

When asked if the U.S. was moving closer to joining the missile strikes on Iran, Mr. Trump joked that he would never give up that information.

“You don’t know that I’m going to even do it. You don’t know. I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” he said.

Lawmakers in both parties complained to Mr. Hegseth about the Defense Department’s 2026 budget proposal, which is split between two measures.

The Trump administration proposed $892.6 billion in spending, plus an additional $113.3 billion in funding included in the GOP’s tax cut bill. Republicans said it fell short.

“What we have in front of us is an inadequate budget, with precious little detail,” said Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, Mississippi Republican.

Mr. Wicker said the eruption of fighting in the Middle East, the threat of China and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine pose significant threats to the U.S.

“In short, this is the most dangerous national security moment since World War II,” Mr. Wicker said.

• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.