Defence secretary Pete Hegseth has warned that the US military has enough assets to maintain a naval blockade of Iran "indefinitely", as talks with Tehran hit an impasse over the Strait of Hormuz.
"The United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we'll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we'll continue to," Hegseth said, adding that he is advising president Donald Trump to keep applying economic pressure on Iran.
His statement comes as Iran said it could deliberately prolong the war with the US until Trump leaves office, in order to send a message that attacking the country has lasting consequences.
Mohammad Reza Naghdi, senior adviser to the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, said dragging out the war would show any future US administration that “there is a cost” to hostile endeavours against Iran."We have to attain deterrence so that the enemy never dares to attack us, so we can live with security," he told PBS NewsHour.
Trump earlier said that “praise be to Allah”, Washington has “total control over the Strait of Hormuz", adding: "I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT!”
#trump
#iran
#hormuz
#straitofhormuz
Watch more on Independent TV: https://tinyurl.com/yc7ukx9n
The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking newsbrand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded.
Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-Independent
Find us on social:
TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@independent
Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/the.independent/
X (Twitter) / https://twitter.com/Independent
Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/TheIndependentOnline
Download the iOS & Android app: https://tinyurl.com/2s3ts5dh
Sign up to our newsletters: https://tinyurl.com/2bmw565x
Help to support truly independent journalism.
Every dollar you contribute will directly fund additional special reports and investigations from a free-thinking, award-winning newsroom you can trust: https://www.independent.co.uk/donations