Washington, April 25 -- US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has characterised the ongoing conflict in Iran as "a gift to the world", asserting that the American blockade of Iranian maritime traffic will persist "as long as it takes."

Addressing journalists at the Pentagon on Friday, Hegseth stated that the naval restrictions are essential to fulfilling what he described as a "bold and dangerous" mission aimed at neutralising Iran's perceived threat to international stability. While American officials maintained that the blockade has successfully intercepted 34 vessels, maritime monitoring data indicates that Tehran continues to circumvent these measures to export sanctioned oil.

According to Lloyd's List Intelligence, "a steady flow of sha...