US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Refuses to Rule Out Military Force in Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions with Iran

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gestures as he testifies during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's supplemental funding request for the Department of Defense in Washington, DC, on Tuesday.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Monday that the Trump administration is keeping the possibility of military action against Iran open, following the rollout of a major economic offensive against Tehran.

“We are not ruling out, under any circumstances, the use of military strikes anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz or throughout Iran,” Hegseth stated to reporters, asserting that Tehran cannot endure the ongoing economic pressure.

The US Treasury Department recently sanctioned nearly 60 entities, individuals, and vessels connected to Iran across the oil, cyber, missile, and nuclear energy sectors. Additionally, the Treasury Department focused on five specific industries for potential secondary sanctions: shipping, aviation, gold, technology, and digital assets. General licenses permitting certain financial transactions involving Iran were also suspended.

The US Treasury Secretary noted, “President Trump is actively speaking with world leaders by phone to cut off economic ties with Iran. Every country has a designated timeline to cease the identified activities, and failure to comply will result in unilateral actions utilizing the authorities of the Treasury Department.”