US says it can keep naval blockade on Iran 'indefinitely,' vows more economic pressure
PANAMA CITY, Aug 13 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday said that it could maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely and would ratchet up economic pressure on Tehran as ceasefire talks have floundered, global oil supply is dropping and regional tensions are rising.
The United States maintains its naval blockade of Iran indefinitely, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who stated that the U.S. military can rotate ships in and out to enforce the blockade. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced more economic pressure would be imposed on Iran, with measures never seen before in economic isolation.
Iran has been attacking vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil and gas transport. The blockade and economic sanctions have significantly reduced shipping traffic through the strait, with only eight vessels passing in recent days compared to around 12 in a 10-day average before the conflict.
Iran has threatened to keep the strait closed until its demands for sanctions removal and frozen asset release are met. Despite these actions, the U.S. has continued its economic pressure campaign, which has failed to bring Iran back to the negotiating table. The global oil supply is projected to fall by 4.3 million barrels per day, posing a risk to the world economy.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
