Hegseth: U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains “ironclad” — Trump has “options” if Iran keeps “playing games”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that the United States’ blockade of Iranian ports remains “ironclad” and that President Donald Trump has “options” on the table if Iran continues to “play games” with the vital sea route, according to reporting by the Associated Press, cited by Al Jazeera.

Speaking to reporters, Hegseth said the United States controls the Strait of Hormuz and that Tehran “has moved nothing” through it. He called on Iran to “make the right decision”, warning: “If they don’t, the president will have all the options he needs on the table.”

Hegseth reiterated Trump’s determination to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, calling this “a vital national interest of the United States of America”. “The message is very simple: Iran will never, ever, ever have nuclear weapons. President Trump is determined and committed to ensuring that they do not have them; they will not,” he said.

The statements come at a time of high tensions, as negotiations to end the seven-month war between the U.S. and Iran continue through intermediaries, and as Washington strengthens its military presence in the Middle East with a third aircraft carrier strike group.