Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth said the military blockade of Iranian ports will continue “for as long as necessary” and that the United States continues to “lock and load” Iranian energy facilities to attack them.
Hegseth spoke Thursday as a delicate pause in fighting agreed last week continues. On Monday, President Donald Trump announced that the military would blockade Iran’s ports in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf after talks between the United States and Iran in Pakistan failed to lead to a breakthrough.
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The defense secretary struck an aggressive tone, insisting that the United States is monitoring Iran’s military actions during the cessation of fighting, which is currently scheduled to extend into early next week.
“We have stronger reloads than ever before…and more importantly, better intelligence than ever before,” Hegseth said.
“When you expose your movements to our scrutiny, we lock and strain your critical dual-use infrastructure, residual power generation, and energy industry,” he said.
Still, the Pentagon chief said the United States wants to resolve the conflict, which began with the Feb. 28 attack on Iran by the United States and Israel, through diplomacy.
“Iran, you can choose a prosperous future, a golden bridge. We hope you will do so for the sake of the Iranian people.” “For the time being, and for as long as necessary, we will maintain this blockade and make it a success, but if Iran makes the wrong choice, there will be a blockade and bombs will be dropped on infrastructure, power and energy.”
On Wednesday, a Pakistani delegation arrived in Tehran to arrange new talks. Although both sides have indicated they are open to further negotiations, Maj. Gen. Ali Abdullahi, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Khatam al-Anbiya Central Command, warned that the U.S. blockade could end the current lull in fighting.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Caroline Levitt indicated that the United States remains positive about future talks.
“At this time, we remain very engaged in these negotiations and consultations,” she said.
But Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, reporting from Tehran on Thursday, said deep-seated mistrust remained. The United States under the Trump administration has attacked Iran twice while indirect talks regarding Iran’s nuclear program continue, and this fact has cast a long shadow over recent diplomacy.
“It is clear that some messages have been conveyed to the Iranian people, but instead of being consolidated, the sense of confidence and optimism seems to have already been shaken,” he said.
He said: “Today we saw platforms closely associated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeting that, citing sources, everything that is being demonstrated and said in the media regarding optimism is just hype and that this is being used for PR and for President Trump to exploit in the market.”
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Berger Ghalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation in talks with Iran, told his Lebanese counterpart on Thursday that a ceasefire between the Israeli invasion and the ongoing shelling of Lebanon is “as important” as a cessation of fighting in Iran.
Getting Israel to agree to a Lebanese ceasefire is one of the key sticking points in negotiations that also include sea control of the Strait of Hormuz and the future of Iran’s nuclear program.
“Use force”
So far, 13 ships that left Iranian ports have turned back in response to a warning from the U.S. military, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Cain said at a news conference Thursday.
“If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force,” Cain said.
Meanwhile, Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), said the US is using the war to rearm and redeploy.
“We are rearming, retooling and adjusting our tactics, techniques and procedures. There is no other military in the world that adjusts like we do, and that is exactly what we are doing now during the ceasefire.”
During questions from reporters, Hegseth also denied reports that China was planning to send weapons to Iran amid the cease-fire. Hegseth said the U.S. government has received assurances from the Chinese government that this is not the case.
Mr Hegseth also used much of the press conference to attack US media coverage of the war, which has criticized the Trump administration over the changing aims and justification for starting the war.
Mr Hegseth criticized the report as “incredibly unpatriotic”.
