US Threatens Indefinite Naval Blockade of Iran Amid Escalating Regional Tensions

The US has threatened to maintain an indefinite naval blockade of Iran as tensions in the region escalate and global oil supply drops.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the US military could keep a naval presence in the region to enforce its blockade of Iran, which has already inflicted severe economic damage on the country.

The move comes as ceasefire talks with Iran have floundered and regional tensions continue to rise. Iran has sought to control the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas travelled before the war began in February.

The US lifted its blockade of Iran's shipping and ports for a month in mid-June but has since reimposed it, cutting off Tehran's primary source of hard currency. The US has previously said it would lift the Iranian blockade once Iran and Oman reach an agreement to restore commercial shipping.