U.S. will strike Iran infrastructure with no deal, Hegseth warns

The U.S. military is prepared to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure if it does not agree to a peace deal, War Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday. 

“If Iran chooses poorly, they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power and energy,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth spoke to reporters alongside chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine and Admiral Brad Cooper with an update on the U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as negotiators settle on a peace deal. 

The U.S. blockade on Iranian ports went into effect on Monday. Caine said more than 10,000 sailors marines, and airmen using ships, planes and helicopters are enforcing the blockade. 

The military fires warning shots to any vessel that approaches the blockade and leaves open the possibility that ships could be boarded. So far, no ship has been boarded by the U.S. military. U.S. forces have turned away 13 vessels as part of the blockade, Caine said. 

“Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our sailors executing pre-planned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship, if need be, board the ship and and take her over,” Caine said. 

Hegseth issued a warning to Iran during the news conference. He criticized the Islamic Republic for having degraded military capabilities. 

“You have no defense industry, no ability to replenish your offensive or defensive capabilities. You only have what you have. You know that. And we know that you can move things around, but you can’t actually rebuild. You can dig out for now, but you can’t reconstitute. But we can,” he said.

Caine clarified that the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz is only targeted to ships entering or exiting Iranian ports, regardless of nationality. 

“The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran’s coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz,” Caine said. 

Hegseth called on allied nations in Europe and Asia to aid the U.S. in its blockade on Iranian ports. He did not name a specific nation. Hegseth and President Donald Trump have been critical of the United Kingdom and France for not providing military support in the conflict. 

“We should live in a world where other countries can defend waterways, not just the United States Navy,” Hegseth said. “Other allies need to invest in their capabilities so they can project power and do basic tasks like clearing a strait.”