War Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday that the US stands ready to strike Iran with military force. He refused to rule out kinetic action in the Strait of Hormuz as Washington tightens its economic squeeze on Tehran. This comes as the Iran war has continued for nearly six months.
Pentagon chief says military options remain on the table as Iran tensions rise
As reported by Reuters, speaking in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the defense chief gave an update when asked if kinetic strikes are on pause. “No. If we need to use kinetic strikes, we’ll use them,” he said. “If Iran is foolish enough to overplay their hand or mess with the American military, we’ll do what we need to do.”
Pete Hegseth tied the threat of military force to a wider campaign of economic pressure. He said the Pentagon works in “full coordination” with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on squeezing Iran’s finances. Hegseth called the economic push part of an “Economic Fury” strategy that Tehran cannot withstand.
“Ultimately, their economy is in a spiral,” Hegseth said. “They also know that we control the Strait of Hormuz, that our blockade is ironclad, and that oil is flowing through it.” He also pointed to recent American strikes on Iran’s naval and missile systems, claiming the attacks had weakened Tehran’s ability to detect threats and defend its waters. “The devastating things our military did to their navy and their ability to sense and see, and radars and missiles. They still have some capabilities, but it’s nowhere near what it was at all,” Hegseth added.
He framed control of the strait as a strategic victory. Iran had bet heavily on dominating the waterway, Hegseth said. That bet failed. “Iran can’t run anything through; we can,” he said. “The world economy realises that.” The military chief also linked the pressure campaign to nuclear negotiations.
He said sustained economic pain would leave Tehran no option but to discuss its nuclear program. “More economic pressure only ensures that Iran really has no choice but to come to the table,” Hegseth said. Hegseth’s comments indicate that Washington is prioritizing economic pressure while keeping military strikes against Iran available if needed.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
