Hegseth issues 'locked and loaded' warning

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a stern ultimatum to Tehran during a Pentagon briefing, asserting that the U.S. military remains 'locked and loaded' to strike Iranian infrastructure.

Hegseth emphasized that the naval blockade of Iranian ports will continue indefinitely to exert maximum pressure during ongoing negotiations.

He also criticized the media's coverage of the conflict, comparing reporters to the biblical Pharisees.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, confirmed that 13 vessels have already been turned away by U.S. forces enforcing the cordon.