US can keep naval blockade on Iranian ports "indefinitely," Pentagon chief says
PANAMA CITY — The U.S. military has enough assets to maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday, adding ships could be rotated in and out of the region as needed. Hegseth's comments suggest he is advising U.S. President Donald Trump that the U.S. military can keep applying economic pressure on Iran for as long as needed to help so-far failed…
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Thursday that the U.S. military possesses sufficient resources to maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely. He further explained that ships can be rotated in and out of the region as necessary. Hegseth's remarks indicate that he is advising U.S. President Donald Trump that the U.S. military can continue exerting economic pressure on Iran for as long as necessary to aid the ongoing negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict, which began in February.
Hegseth told reporters that the United States Navy has the capability to maintain such a blockade indefinitely, rotating ships as needed and continuing to do so. He made these comments in Panama following a speech to the crew aboard the USS Gridley, a guided-missile destroyer, which had previously been deployed to the Middle East.
On Wednesday, President Trump had asserted that the U.S. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. He stated on his Truth Social platform that the U.S. has dubbed its naval blockade as "A WALL OF STEEL," and emphasized that Iran has no means to counter this blockade. The conflict had begun after the start of the current negotiations.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
