US will not rule out using military force in Strait of Hormuz: US Defense Secretary

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gestures as he testifies during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump's supplemental funding request for the Department of Defense, in Washington, DC, on Tuesday. Eric Lee/Reuters US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday that the Trump administration is not ruling out the use of military force against Iran, even after Washington announced a “decisive economic attack” on Tehran. “We are not ruling out, under any circumstances, the use of military strikes anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz or throughout Iran,” Hegseth told reporters, adding that Tehran cannot withstand the economic pressure being imposed on it. The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on nearly 60 entities, individuals, and vessels linked to Iran in the nuclear energy, missile, cyber, and oil sectors. The Treasury Department targeted five sectors for potential secondary sanctions: digital assets, technology, gold, aviation, and shipping. It also suspended general licenses that had allowed certain financial transactions to Iran. The US Treasury Secretary said, “President Trump is in telephone conversations with world leaders to sever economic ties with Iran. Each country has a specific timeline for halting the activities we have identified, and if these countries do not take action, we will take unilateral measures through the Treasury Department’s authorities.” Back to top button