Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned the Iranian regime Thursday that it is on the losing side of the war and the U.S. will keep fighting.
Standing at the podium in the Pentagon briefing room Thursday, Mr. Hegseth addressed Iranian leaders about the futility of trying to hold out against American military might.
“Our capabilities are not the same, our military and yours. Remember, this is not a fair fight. We know what military assets you are moving and where you are moving,” he said. “You are digging out your remaining launchers and missiles with no ability to replace them. You have no defense industry and no ability to replenish your offensive or defensive capabilities. You only have what you have.”
The warning came as a U.S. blockade increased the pressure on the Islamic Republic.
More than a dozen commercial vessels have turned back rather than face U.S. warships since Monday, when the Trump administration announced a sweeping naval blockade of Iran.
Mr. Hegseth framed the continuing conflict as a war between the haves and have-nots. He said the U.S. controls all commercial ship traffic in the region “because we have real assets and real capabilities.”
“We’re doing this blockade with less than 10% of America’s naval power,” he said. “The math is clear. We’re using 10% of the world’s most powerful navy, and you have 0% of your navy.”
The U.S. is continuing to offer Tehran an off-ramp, where it can rebuild and offer peace and prosperity to its people. But only if they abide by Washington’s demands.
“In the meantime and for as long as it takes, we will maintain this blockade,” Mr. Hegseth said. “If Iran chooses poorly, they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure [like] power and energy.”
Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that the blockade is working, despite reports of Chinese vessels getting through.
“This blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports,” Gen. Caine said. “The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran’s ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur inside Iran’s territorial seas and in international waters.”
U.S. forces are prepared to intercept any vessel “attempting to provide material support to Iran,” including ships flying the Iranian flag as well as those registered to other countries.
“This includes ’Dark Fleet’ vessels carrying Iranian oil,” Gen. Caine said, referring to contraband ships that seek to evade international detection using deceptive tactics like disabling tracking systems.
Gen. Caine said 13 commercial vessels leaving Iranian ports turned around rather than facing U.S. warships enforcing the blockade. The order followed the breakdown of high-stakes peace negotiations between U.S. and Iranian delegations in Islamabad, Pakistan.
“Those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel the pressure around them,” he said. “It’s a finely-tuned machine rehearsed multiple times.”
European leaders view the blockade as a belligerent act that risks further closing the Strait of Hormuz rather than opening it. French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer proposed a naval mission where they would act as a neutral “maritime police” force to escort merchant ships through the Strait without directly participating in the U.S. war effort.
However, it would deploy in the region only after an enforceable cease-fire commences, officials said
Mr. Hegseth has been blunt and highly critical of the independent efforts of British and French forces in the Persian Gulf. While a collective clearing of mines from the Strait of Hormuz would be a “wonderful thing,” he said, Europe was too often “all talk and no action.”
“When the shots were fired, and those countries were needed the most, they weren’t there. They weren’t alongside us,” Mr. Hegseth said. “And as [President Donald Trump] has pointed out, [the Strait of Hormuz] is a waterway that Americans don’t use all that much. We don’t rely on that energy, but Europe does and Asia does.”
Iran’s command and control capabilities have been severely weakened since the start of Operation Epic Fury in February. Lower-level commanders are finding it difficult to contact senior military officials for guidance.
“But, their motivation to want to stay in the ceasefire is very high, because they understand that a violation of that means a commencement of [U.S. Central Command’s] forces,” he said. “They have a high incentive to maintain the ceasefire, even though they can’t talk and organize as well as they’d like to.”
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, recently returned to the U.S. from his second visit to the Middle East in the past 15 days. He said American military personnel in the region are highly motivated and focused on what’s ahead.
“We’re re-arming, we’re retooling, and we’re adjusting our tactics, techniques, and procedures,” he said. “There’s no military in the world that can adjust as we do, and that’s exactly what we’re doing right now.”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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