Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Dan Caine affirmed during a Pentagon press briefing that the U.S. military is ready to use force if any vessels do not comply with the U.S. Naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
"As you expose yourself with your movement to our watchful eye, we are locked and loaded on your critical dual-use infrastructure, on your remaining power generation, and on your energy industry," Secretary Hegseth commented. "We'd rather not have to do it, but we're ready to go at the command of our president and at the push of a button."
"If you do not comply with the blockade, we will use force," Gen. Caine affirmed.
During the briefing, Secretary Hegseth clarified that the U.S. would continue the “successful blockade” of the maritime chokepoint but assured that the U.S. military can "make the transition" from the impasse to "major combat operations."
"We can make that transition again very quickly and even more powerfully than ever," Secretary Hegseth said. "At the direction of President Trump, the War Department will ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon, never. We prefer to do it the nice way through a deal led by our great vice president and negotiating team, or we can do it the hard way."
According to ABC News, Iranian officials have publicly warned to neutralize American vessels and close the Red Sea, a second significant waterway.
The Pentagon’s briefing comes amid a 9-day ceasefire in the Iran war.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that 14 vessels have complied with the blockade after 72 hours of operations in a post on X.
“U.S. forces are focused, vigilant, and highly motivated as they execute a blockade on vessels attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports. After 72 hours of enforcement, 14 vessels have turned around to comply with the blockade at the direction of American forces,” CENTCOM posted with a video showcasing U.S. forces in action.
