US to blockade Iran ports ‘as long as it takes’: Pentagon chief

The United States will block all shipping to and from Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz for “as long as it takes, ” Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday, as the naval operation entered its fourth day. “Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, ” Hegseth told a news briefing. “For as long as it takes, we will maintain this blockade. ” He said Washington was closely monitoring every move by Iranian forces and warned of a stark imbalance in military capability. “Iran should understand there is no parity between our capabilities, ” he added. Hegseth said the US was operating at heightened readiness, adding that only a fraction of its forces had been deployed to enforce the blockade. Senior US military official General Dan Caine said the objective of the operation was to choke Iran’s oil exports and disrupt its maritime activity. “The blockade applies to all vessels heading to Iranian ports, ” Caine said, adding that 13 ships had already been turned back. He said the operation had effectively halted Iranian exports, while US forces remained ready to launch strikes “at a moment’s notice. ” Caine also indicated that military rules would be enforced across Iranian maritime zones. Hegseth warned that the United States could escalate further if Iran failed to reach an agreement, including targeting its nuclear infrastructure to reopen shipping lanes. He defended the operation as sustainable, saying Washington could maintain control of the strategic waterway for as long as required.

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