The US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, said on Thursday that the United States has sufficient military forces to maintain a continuous blockade of Iran. Hegseth made the statement during a visit to Panama, where he addressed the crew of the guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley, which had previously been deployed to the Middle East.
The minister stressed that the US Navy can maintain a continuous presence by rotating ships as needed, a process already in place. His comments suggest that he is advising President Donald Trump that the military can continue to exert economic pressure on Iran for as long as necessary to achieve its objectives.
The aim of such prolonged pressure is to help resolve the conflict, with previous negotiations having stalled after the war escalated following US-Israeli air strikes on Iranian territory on 28 February. Washington has sent hundreds of thousands of troops to the region to secure its interests.
The day before, US President Donald Trump stated on the social media platform Truth Social that the United States has full control over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump stated that he believes he will maintain this control, describing the maritime blockade in media and analyst reports as an 'iron wall' through which Iran cannot pass.
The conflict has led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Tehran, through which a fifth of the world's oil was transported before the outbreak of hostilities, along with liquefied natural gas. US attacks have not succeeded in weakening Iranian control over this key maritime artery.
Iran is responding to attacks with rockets and drones against US allies in the region, while also attacking commercial vessels passing through the strait without explicit Iranian permission. In response to these moves, the US has imposed a blockade on Iranian ships, while promising to protect the freedom of navigation for vessels travelling to and from non-Iranian ports.
