The US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is still in place, the US defense secretary said on Saturday, and warned that Washington is ready to resort to military action again if diplomatic efforts fail to secure a deal that prevents Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
“The blockade is very much still in place,” Pete Hegseth said in Singapore, where he addressed the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit.
“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.
“Right now, we’re focused on being postured and prepared to reengage if we have to,” the Pentagon chief added, but said he is “confident” that the US will get a deal that serves the interests of the American people.
Speaking about Iran’s assertion that Tehran controls the strategic waterway, Hegseth said: “They want to say that they control the strait, but we do, and 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.”
Addressing the nuclear negotiations, he emphasized that US President Donald Trump’s stance remains unchanged and that any agreement must permanently prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“We think we’re in a good place to make that deal,” Hegseth said, adding: “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.”
Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in February. Tehran retaliated with strikes targeting Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation and was later extended by Trump indefinitely.
Following stalled negotiations mediated by Islamabad, the US has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports since April 13, including those located along the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Mediation efforts are ongoing to put an end to the conflict between the parties.