Published On 4/24/2026
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Friday that the US blockade on Iran is expanding to a global scale, and that Iran still has a chance to make a “good deal” with the United States.
Hegseth added during a press conference that “no ship is allowed to sail from the Strait of Hormuz to anywhere in the world without permission from the US Navy.”
He spoke about the impact of the blockade, explaining that it led to a major paralysis in Iran’s commercial capacity, and that the US Navy has so far returned 34 ships from the Strait of Hormuz.
On the military side, the American minister confirmed the complete elimination of the Iranian navy, and that it was “at the bottom of the Gulf,” as he described it.
He said that any attempts by Iran to plant more mines would constitute a violation of the ceasefire and would not be tolerated, and “it will also not be allowed to possess a nuclear bomb.”
Attack on the European allies
Also, the US Secretary of War attacked the European allies of the United States, saying, “Europe and Asia have benefited from American protection for decades, and the time for free riding has ended,” as he put it.
He added, “We do not count on Europe, but it needs the Strait of Hormuz more than we do, and this is their battle more than ours.”
Hegseth continued, “This should not be America’s war alone. We barely use the Strait of Hormuz.”
Chief of Staff: We are ready to resume fighting
Meanwhile, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Keane said that the United States “continues to impose a strict blockade on Iranian ports, and will implement it comprehensively on any ship.”
He added that the US military is monitoring suspicious ships, whether heading to Iran or those outside the blockade area, adding, “We are on alert and ready to intercept ships as part of our naval blockade of Iran.”
He indicated during the press conference with the Minister of War that the US Army is in a state of readiness to resume major combat operations as soon as the order is issued by President Donald Trump.
The Chief of Staff said, “We have received orders to carry out maritime interceptions of ships subject to sanctions against Iran around the world. We will continue maritime interceptions of ships in the Iranian shadow fleet.”
A fragile truce
On April 8, Washington and Tehran announced a two-week truce, and three days later, Pakistan hosted a round of talks between the two parties that did not lead to an agreement.
On April 13, Trump announced the start of imposing a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, following the failure of the first round of negotiations with Iran in Pakistan.
Last Tuesday, the US President announced the extension of the truce with Iran at Pakistan’s request “until Tehran presents its proposal,” without specifying a period.
The United States and Israel began a war against Iran on February 28, leaving more than 3,000 dead, before Washington and Tehran announced a truce in the hope of concluding an agreement to end the conflict.
