Hegseth says US blockade of Iran is still in place
US War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the naval blockade on Iran remains in place and warned Tehran that Washington is ready to use military force again if diplomacy fails to produce a deal preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“The blockade is very much still in place,” Hegseth said in Singapore, adding that the Strait of Hormuz had come up repeatedly in talks with US partners.
He said any eventual outcome, whether through agreement or continued pressure, must leave the Strait of Hormuz open and free of tolls.
“Once a deal is had or not, depending on the choice they make, it will be an open strait, a toll-free strait that the entire world can use, which is the way that it should be,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth said Iran claims to control the waterway, but argued that US military pressure had shaped the negotiating dynamics.
“They want to say that they control the Strait, but we do,” he said. “Everything behind the scenes shows that we are in control when it comes to that, including how the dynamics of the negotiation are coming together.”
On the nuclear talks, Hegseth said President Donald Trump’s position had not changed and that any deal must ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon.
“The goalposts haven’t shifted at all,” he said, adding that Iran knew “very, very clearly” what Washington expected from the negotiations.
“We think we’re in a good place to make that deal,” Hegseth said. “Or they can deal with the War Department. And we are prepared. We’re postured even stronger today than we were on day one to address it that way if we have to.”
Hegseth also said the United States remained focused on strengthening its defense industrial base, including production of air defense missiles, Tomahawks and other munitions, while investing in drone capabilities.