The U.S. War Minister: Our blockade of Iran is expanding and going global

U.S. War Minister Pete Hegseth said in a press briefing on Friday that the American blockade against Iran is now expanding to a global scale. He also stated that Tehran has an opportunity to reach a "good agreement" with Washington.

Hegseth told reporters: "Our blockade is expanding and going global." He added, "No one can sail from the Strait of Hormuz to anywhere in the world without permission from the U.S. Navy."

According to Reuters on Friday, citing three Pakistani sources, peace talks between Iran and the United States may soon restart in Pakistan. Previous rounds of negotiations, originally scheduled earlier this week, had broken down.

At the press conference, Hegseth stood beside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, stating that the U.S. "is not concerned" about reaching an agreement with Iran and reiterated Trump’s earlier remarks about having "plenty of time."

Hegseth declared: "Iran knows they still have the chance to make wise choices at the negotiating table… They just need to give up their nuclear weapons in a meaningful and verifiable way."

Caine noted that U.S. Central Command continues to enforce a strict blockade on all Iranian ports. By Friday morning, 34 ships had already been turned back. He further added that U.S. forces will continue intercepting Iranian vessels in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Caine said, "We are fully enforcing the blockade, intercepting any vessel traveling to or from Iranian ports or territory, regardless of nationality."

Caine added: "We are closely tracking vessels heading toward Iran, as well as those currently outside the blockade zone but en route away from Iran… We are prepared to intercept them at any moment." The U.S. maritime blockade against Iran began on April 13.

In addition, Hegseth warned that any attempt by Iran to mine the Strait of Hormuz would violate the ceasefire agreement.

Hegseth emphasized, "Navigation through the Strait of Hormuz is still ongoing, but far less than anyone would wish, and riskier than anyone would like, due to Iran's irresponsible activities using small, fast-moving vessels… These vessels are also armed."

On Thursday, CNN cited several informed sources reporting that if the current ceasefire agreement with Iran collapses, U.S. military officials are preparing new plans to strike Iran’s military capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz.

The sources said among the various target types under consideration are dynamic strikes targeting Iran’s military capacity in the Strait of Hormuz, southern Arabian Gulf, and surrounding areas of the Gulf of Oman.

The sources described potential strikes on fast attack craft, minelayers, and other asymmetric warfare assets. The U.S. military might also fulfill Trump’s previous threats by striking dual-use targets and infrastructure, including energy facilities, to force the Tehran regime back to the negotiating table.

One source said another plan being developed by U.S. military planners involves targeting Iranian military leaders and other "obstructionists" within the regime who have recently been implied to be actively undermining negotiations. This includes Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Ahmad Vahidi.

Notably, The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. officials said that due to the heavy consumption of ammunition by U.S. forces in Iran, some government officials are increasingly concerned that the U.S. may not be able to fully execute its emergency Taiwan defense plan should China launch a military assault on Taiwan in the short term.

Several unnamed U.S. officials said that since the outbreak of war with Iran on February 28, U.S. forces have launched over 1,000 long-range "Tomahawk" missiles and between 1,500 to 2,000 critical air defense missiles, including THAAD, Patriot, and Standard missiles.

The report stated that officials said replenishing these stocks could take as long as six years, sparking internal discussions within the Trump administration about adjusting operational plans to prepare for any future Taiwan defense orders the president might issue. U.S. officials familiar with ammunition levels did not detail the specific impacts of stock depletion on plans involving China.

The spokesperson for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Commander Samuel Paparo declined to comment on the transfer of weapons from Asia to the Middle East. On Tuesday, Paparo largely avoided addressing the inventory shortage issue during his testimony before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, merely stating, "Ammunition capacity is limited." However, Paparo said, "At present, I do not see any substantial impairment of our ability to deter adversaries."

Sources: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1863370130627591/

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