Afghanistan, Aug. 14 -- The United States said Thursday it could maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely and vowed to increase economic pressure on Tehran as ceasefire negotiations stalled, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz declined and concerns over global oil supplies grew.
Reuters reported on August 14, 2026, that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military had the capacity to sustain its naval presence in the region by rotating ships in and out. The comments came as Washington and Tehran remained at odds over efforts to restore commercial shipping through the strategic waterway.
"Indefinitely the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we'll rotate ships in and out," Hegseth told reporter...