US can maintain naval blockade on Iran 'indefinitely', says War Secretary Hegseth

Panama City: US War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday warned of continuing the United States' naval blockade on Iranian ports "indefinitely" and for as long as needed, as reported by Al Jazeera.Speaking to reporters in Panama City, Hegseth emphasised that the US Navy can keep the blockade in place by rotating ships in and out of the region as required. "Indefinitely, the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we'll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we'll continue to," he said.The development comes a day after US President Donald Trump claimed that the United States exercised "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz, and that he "will keep it" amid stalled negotiations with Iran regarding the reopening of the strategic conduit.In a statement on Truth Social, Trump asserted, "The USA has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT! Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, 'A WALL OF STEEL,' and there is nothing Iran can do about it."However, soon after Trump's remarks, Iran rejected his claims, saying the strategic waterway remains blocked and will not be reopened until Tehran's conditions are accepted.The Persian Gulf Strait Authority, in a post on X, said Trump's claims and repeated statements by US officials that the Strait of Hormuz was no longer blocked did not change the situation."Claims and repeated posts by US officials that the Strait of Hormuz is no longer blocked do not change the reality: the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked and will not be reopened until Iran's conditions are accepted," the PGSA said.The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most sensitive geopolitical chokepoints, where past military standoffs have routinely triggered spikes in international crude prices and fears of broader conflict. The current escalation has already prompted expanded naval patrols, adjustments to shipping routes by commercial carriers, and renewed international calls for diplomatic restraint.Commercial shipping through the vital corridor currently continues under tight security oversight, though the environment remains highly volatile. Immediate diplomatic attention remains centred on whether negotiations can yield a temporary truce to mitigate the likelihood of armed conflict while keeping maritime trade routes open.