The United States has enough military assets to maintain its naval blockade of Iran indefinitely, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday (August 13), signalling that Washington is prepared to sustain pressure on Tehran as efforts to end the conflict remain stalled.
Hegseth said the US Navy could keep ships in the region for as long as necessary by rotating vessels in and out of the area.
“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,” Hegseth told reporters.
Hegseth says US can sustain blockade
Hegseth made the comments in Panama after addressing the crew of the USS Gridley, a guided-missile destroyer that had previously deployed to the Middle East.
The US has deployed tens of thousands of troops to the Middle East since the war began, including more than 20 warships, according to the report.
Trump claims control over Strait of Hormuz
Hegseth’s comments came a day after Trump claimed that the United States had established control over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global energy route.
“The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, describing the US naval blockade as a “WALL OF STEEL.”
The Strait had effectively been closed by Iran after the war began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28. Before the conflict, about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through the waterway.
US intercepts commercial vessels
Since imposing the blockade, US forces have redirected more than 55 commercial vessels attempting to breach it, according to the report. Three ships have been disabled and two boarded.
Earlier this week, a US Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of a Panama-flagged vessel after the ship allegedly ignored warnings from US forces.
Washington has said its blockade is aimed at Iranian shipping and ports while maintaining freedom of navigation for vessels travelling to and from non-Iranian ports.
Iran retains grip on key waterway
Despite months of US military strikes that have targeted Iran’s leadership and damaged parts of its military capabilities, including its navy, Tehran has continued to exert influence over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks against US allies in the region and has targeted commercial vessels travelling through the strait without its permission.
The continued confrontation has kept the strategically important waterway at the centre of the conflict and raised the prospect of prolonged disruption to global energy supplies.
Trump faces pressure to end war
Trump has repeatedly shifted between threats of further escalation and claims that a peace agreement could be close.
The president has so far resisted some of the most escalatory options, including deploying ground troops, seizing strategic islands and targeting desalination plants.
The administration faces pressure to bring the conflict to an end as the November midterm elections approach. High fuel prices have emerged as a major concern, particularly in rural areas that have traditionally supported Trump.
Hegseth rejects reports of poor conditions aboard USS Abraham Lincoln
Hegseth has rejected reports of deteriorating conditions and declining morale aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, calling accounts of problems on the aircraft carrier “completely misrepresented.”
The 5,000-person carrier has been at sea since November 2025 and has been deployed to the Middle East since January, supporting US military operations in the war with Iran.
Hegseth defended the Navy’s efforts to support the crew, saying sailors on extended deployments were operating under difficult conditions.
“We make sure every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment,” Hegseth told reporters during a visit to Panama.
Extended deployment raises mental health concerns
The prolonged deployment of the Abraham Lincoln has raised concerns about the physical and mental strain on its crew. Sailors have remained on heightened alert amid the threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran.
Reports of suicide attempts and declining morale have added to concerns about the impact of the extended mission on sailors’ mental health.
(With Reuters inputs)
