\u2018Choose wisely\u2019
\nNaval blockade of Iranian ports throughout Strait of Hormuz will hold \u201cas long as it takes,\u201d US Defence Secretary says
\n WASHINGTON
\nIran has a chance to make a deal, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said, as Washington warned Tehran over mine-laying in the Strait of Hormuz and kept up pressure through its naval presence.
\nIn a packed press conference at the Pentagon on Friday, he said Tehran has \u201ca chance to make a good deal\u201d and added, \u201cIran has open window to choose wisely at negotiating table.\u201d
\n\u201cThe choice is theirs. But with this (US naval) blockade, the clock is not on their side.\u201d
\nThe naval blockade of Iranian ports throughout the Strait of Hormuz will last \u201cas long as it takes,\u201d Hegseth added.
\nThe Pentagon chief warned that any attempt to lay mines in the Strait would breach the ceasefire framework.
\n\u201cIf there are attempts to recklessly and irresponsibly lay more mines, we\u2019re going to deal with that. It\u2019s a violation of the ceasefire,\u201d he told reporters.
\nHe said US forces were prepared to respond directly if Iranian vessels threatened shipping.
\n\u201cOur commanders have clear rules of engagement. If Iran is putting mines in the water or otherwise threatening American commercial shipping or American forces, we will shoot to destroy,\u201d he said.
\nHegseth added that US operations in the region were expanding.
\n\u201cOur blockade is growing and going global. America\u2019s military is unmatched, projecting power, denying passage to adversaries, and protecting our interests at the time and place of our choosing,\u201d he said.
\nDismissing a meeting of world leaders this week to discuss efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz, Pentagon chief called it a \u201csilly conference \u2026 where they got together and talked about \u2014 talking about maybe doing something eventually.\u201d
\n\u201cWe\u2019re not counting on Europe, but they need the Strait of Hormuz much more than we do and might want to start doing less talking, and having less fancy conferences in Europe and get in a boat,\u201d Hegseth said. \u201cThis is much more their fight than ours.\u201d
\nJoint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine said Iran had attacked five ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two, as tensions over maritime security deepened.
\nThe US said an additional aircraft carrier would soon join the deployment, as it broadened its naval posture in the region.
\nIran maintained that the US blockade itself violated the ceasefire extended by Trump, and said it would not return to talks unless the restrictions were lifted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2018Choose wisely\u2019 Naval blockade of Iranian ports throughout Strait of Hormuz will hold \u201cas long as it takes,\u201d US Defence Secretary says WASHINGTON Iran has a chance to make a deal, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said, as Washington warned Tehran over mine-laying in the Strait of Hormuz and kept up pressure through its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":543362,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-543350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n