In a highly controversial open letter earlier this month, a number of Senate Republicans warned Iran against signing a nuclear deal with President Obama, arguing the US couldn’t be trusted to keep the deal. They didn’t know how right they were.

Today, US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter sought to downplay the Iran talks, during remarks at Syracuse University, saying the deal wouldn’t have any impact on a potential US military strike on Iran.

“One of my jobs is to make sure all options are on the table,” Carter said, insisting that the US would reserve the right to attack Iran at any time even if the nuclear deal is reached.

That’s a position almost certainly not shared by the other nations involved in the nuclear talks, which were seen as necessary to resolving long-standing disputes with Iran and prevent a US attack. The Pentagon, it seems, is viewing the talks as so much noise, and not something that could stop a future war.