Hegseth issues new threats against Iran as US blockade tests ceasefire

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports will continue and threatened strikes on the Middle Eastern country's infrastructure if it fails to make a deal to end the war.

"We'd rather not have to do it, but we're ready to go at the command of our president," Hegseth said at a Thursday briefing at the Pentagon, adding: "We are locked and loaded."

The blockade, which went into effect Monday and forced at least 13 ships to turn around, is a response to Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz and part of a broader pressure campaign seeking to force Tehran to make a deal. Iran has vowed to retaliate by halting all trade in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea.