War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced today that the United States has imposed an “ironclad blockade” on Iran, a measure tightening “by the hour” with U.S. naval forces turning back vessels and expanding enforcement worldwide as part of a broader military and economic campaign.
Speaking at a morning press briefing, Hegseth stated that the blockade—a central component of “Operation Epic Fury”—is designed to cut off Iranian shipping and force Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Hegseth said: “As part of that effort, the United States has imposed an ironclad blockade that grows more powerful by the day. From the Gulf of Oman to the open oceans, our Navy is enforcing this blockade without hesitation or apology.”
According to Hegseth, every ship meeting U.S. criteria—including Iranian vessels or ships traveling to and from Iranian ports—has been turned around, while 34 non-Iranian vessels have been permitted to transit as of Friday morning.
Hegseth noted that the blockade is expanding globally, citing the seizure this week of two Iranian “dark fleet” ships in the Indo-Pacific that departed before the blockade took effect. He added that a second U.S. aircraft carrier will join the operation in coming days to strengthen enforcement.
“No one sails from the Strait of Hormuz to anywhere in the world without the permission of the United States Navy,” Hegseth said. “The blockade is tightening by the hour. We are in control. Nothing in, nothing out.”
Hegseth described Operation Epic Fury as delivering decisive military results in just weeks, contrasting it with past U.S. conflicts such as Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He stated that clear mission objectives will ensure Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.
“The campaign is entering a ‘new phase,’ combining sustained military pressure with a diplomatic opening for Tehran,” Hegseth explained. “Iran has an important choice—a chance to make a deal, a good deal, a wise deal.”
Hegseth emphasized that President Donald Trump is not rushing negotiations: “President Trump said it again yesterday: we have all the time in the world, and we’re not anxious for a deal.” He added that Iran still has an open window to choose wisely.
The War Secretary sharply criticized Iran’s military, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), describing it as “reduced to a gang of pirates with a flag” and accusing Iranian forces of targeting commercial vessels and laying mines. Hegseth cited recent incidents involving ships approached and fired upon by small Iranian boats, noting that such actions demonstrate a lack of conventional naval capability.
“They’re acting like pirates, acting like terrorists,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth stated that Trump has authorized U.S. forces to respond aggressively to threats: “If Iran is putting mines in the water or otherwise threatening American commercial shipping or American forces, we will shoot to destroy—no hesitation.”
He framed the blockade as part of a broader economic strategy, warning that Tehran’s financial stability is at risk: “They can watch their regime’s fragile economic state collapse under the unrelenting pressure of American power.”
Hegseth also pointed to decades of hostility from Iran toward the United States: “For 47 years, Iran has been at war with America, killing our citizens, our soldiers, and our allies.”
He praised Trump’s leadership as firm and consistent: “President Trump’s fortitude is unshakable, and his mission is crystal clear.”
Additionally, Hegseth called on U.S. allies to take a greater role in the effort, particularly those dependent on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz: “This should not be America’s fight alone.” He stressed that allies have a direct stake in maintaining open shipping lanes.
Hegseth declared that the United States is prepared to sustain the campaign indefinitely if necessary: “A blockade as long as it takes. The bottom line remains the bottom line—Iran will never get a nuclear bomb.”
Concluding, Hegseth emphasized that U.S. forces remain ready for further action: “The War Department stands ready for what comes next. Locked and loaded.”
