US Says It Can Maintain Iran Naval Blockade Indefinitely as Hormuz Tensions Rise

The United States said Thursday it could maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely and vowed to increase economic pressure on Tehran as ceasefire negotiations stalled, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz declined and concerns over global oil supplies grew. Reuters reported on August 14, 2026, that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military had the capacity to sustain its naval presence in the region by rotating ships in and out. The comments came as Washington and Tehran remained at odds over efforts to restore commercial shipping through the strategic waterway. “Indefinitely the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we’ll rotate ships in and out,” Hegseth told reporters during a visit to Panama. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent separately said Washington planned to impose additional financial measures against Iran. In an interview with Newsmax on Thursday, he said further announcements were expected the following week and described the planned measures as unprecedented in the history of economic isolation. The statements came after a tentative June agreement aimed at ending the conflict failed to produce a lasting settlement. Iran has sought to use control over the Strait of Hormuz as leverage in negotiations, while the United States has demanded the restoration of commercial shipping. The waterway is a major global energy route. Before the war began in February, about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed through the strait. Shipping traffic has since fallen sharply, with eight vessels recorded on Tuesday compared with an average of about 12 vessels over the previous 10 days and roughly 130 to 140 vessels before the war. Iran has denied U.S. claims that Washington has full control over the waterway and has said the strait will not fully reopen until its demands are met, including the removal of economic sanctions and the release of frozen Iranian assets. The United States had temporarily lifted its blockade of Iranian shipping and ports for a month in mid-June before reinstating it, further restricting Tehran’s access to foreign currency. Washington has said the blockade could be lifted if Iran and Oman reach an agreement to restore commercial shipping. The disruption is also adding pressure to global energy markets. The International Energy Agency said Wednesday that global oil supply could fall by 4.3 million barrels per day, or about 4%, this year, revising upward its previous forecast of a 3.7 million-barrel-per-day decline. Oil prices fell more than 2% on Thursday as investors focused on weaker demand and rising U.S. crude inventories, although reports of drone attacks involving Saudi Aramco infrastructure renewed concerns about a wider regional conflict. Hegseth said the U.S. military’s objective remained preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He declined to say whether declaring a previous ceasefire had been a mistake. The post US Says It Can Maintain Iran Naval Blockade Indefinitely as Hormuz Tensions Rise appeared first on Khaama Press.