US to Keep Strait of Hormuz Blockade, Warns on Iran Nuclear Talks

(MENAFN) The United States has said that restrictions related to the Strait of Hormuz remain in place, with senior defense officials warning that military options are still on the table if diplomatic efforts fail to reach an agreement over Iran’s nuclear program, according to reports.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking in Singapore at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum, stated that the situation had not changed.

“The blockade is very much still in place,” he said.

He added that any future outcome would depend on negotiations, suggesting that the waterway should remain freely accessible to global shipping once an agreement is reached.

“Once a deal is had or not, depending on the choice they make, it will be an open strait, a toll-free strait that the entire world can use, which is the way that it should be,” he said.

Hegseth also indicated that Washington is maintaining readiness in case talks break down.

“Right now, we're focused on being postured and prepared to reengage if we have to,” he said, while expressing confidence that a diplomatic agreement beneficial to US interests would eventually be achieved.

Addressing Iran’s claims regarding control of the strategic maritime route, he dismissed the assertion, stating that operational control lies elsewhere.

“They want to say that they control the strait, but we do, and everything behind the scenes shows that we are in control when it comes to that, including how the dynamics of the negotiation are coming together,” he said.

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