US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a press conference in Pentagon on Friday that the country’s blockade of Iranian shipping through the economically critical Strait of Hormuz is “ironclad” and will continue “as long as it takes”.
“We are in control. Nothing in, nothing out,” said Hegseth.
He emphasised the US intentions to maximise pressure on Iran until it gives up on its nuclear dreams. He decribed it as central to Washington’s broader security objectives aimed at removing what he considered Iran’s “threat to global stability”.
Hegseth also criticised Iran of disrupting maritime security and likened them to “a gang of pirates” after news of Tehran capturing two container ships earlier this week using small, fast boats equipped with rifles.
He confirmed the US blockade was expanding beyond the Gulf.
“Our blockade is growing and going global,” he said “No one sails from the Strait of Hormuz to anywhere in the world without the permission of the United States Navy.”
He justified the US operation as a “gift to the world”, claiming it ultimately leads to the protection of international trade and security.
“All they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways,” Hegseth said “The ball is in Tehran’s court.”
Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine declared that 34 vessels had been turned back since the beginning of the blockade on April 13. He also detailed a recent operation where the US Navy captured an Iranian-flagged ship that ignored orders, firing precision rounds into its engine room before officers boarded it by helicopter.
“The ship and its crew remain safe in US custody taday,” said Cane.
He added that American forces were prepared to obstruct vessels across the Indian and Pacific oceans.
However, maritime intelligence found that Iranian oil shipments continued to pass through alternative routes.
Besides military operations, the US also added further economic pressure on Iran, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirming that Washington will not renew sanction waivers that used to allow limited Iranian and Russian oil shipments.
Iran has called the blockade an act of aggression and warned that contrinued restrictions could have repercussions on future negotiations.
As military activities and tensions escalate in the maritime channel, the global energy markets continue to face prolonged risk of disruption.
