US can maintain naval blockade on Iran 'indefinitely', says War Secretary Hegseth

The United States is prepared to maintain its naval blockade on Iranian ports for an unlimited duration, according to US War Secretary Pete Hegseth. Speaking to reporters in Panama City, Hegseth asserted that the US Navy possesses the capacity to sustain this blockade indefinitely by rotating vessels in and out of the region as necessary.

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Indefinitely, the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we'll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we'll continue to.

This firm stance comes just a day after US President Donald Trump declared "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global chokepoint. Trump stated on Truth Social that the US "will keep it," describing the naval blockade as a "WALL OF STEEL" against which Iran can do nothing.

However, Iran has vehemently rejected these claims. The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) issued a statement on X, asserting that the strategic waterway remains blocked and will not be reopened until Tehran's conditions are met. The PGSA stated that repeated claims by US officials do not alter the reality on the ground.

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The USA has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT! Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, 'A WALL OF STEEL,' and there is nothing Iran can do about it.

The Strait of Hormuz is a highly sensitive geopolitical area where past military tensions have frequently led to spikes in international crude oil prices and fears of wider conflict. The current escalation has already prompted increased naval patrols, adjustments to shipping routes by commercial carriers, and renewed international calls for diplomatic restraint. Commercial shipping continues under strict security, but the situation remains volatile, with immediate diplomatic efforts focused on de-escalation and maintaining open maritime trade routes.

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Claims and repeated posts by US officials that the Strait of Hormuz is no longer blocked do not change the reality: the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked and will not be reopened until Iran's conditions are accepted.