U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the U.S. will resume a naval blockade and military action against Iran if peace agreement requirements are unmet [1, 2, 3].
This stance signals a shift toward a zero-tolerance policy regarding verification, potentially escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf if diplomatic negotiations stall.
Speaking during a Department of Defense press conference in Washington, D.C., Hegseth said the U.S. would not rely on trust to ensure compliance [1, 2]. He said the naval blockade remains a viable and active tool for the U.S. military to exert pressure on Tehran [3].
"Here there are no concessions, here there is no trust. Everything is based on verification," Hegseth said [1].
According to Hegseth, the U.S. possesses the necessary reserves to engage in a confrontation with Iran should a peace agreement fail to materialize [2]. He said the Department of War is prepared to restart hostilities if the situation requires such action [2].
Recent military activity underscores this readiness. U.S. forces reportedly issued more than 20 warnings to the merchant vessel Lian Star before attacking the ship for violating the blockade toward Iran [4].
"The blockade remains very much in effect," Hegseth said [3].
Throughout the briefing, Hegseth said the U.S. priority is the strict verification of any peace terms to prevent future breaches. He said the U.S. is positioned to act decisively to maintain regional stability through military deterrence.
“"Here there are no concessions, here there is no trust. Everything is based on verification."”
The U.S. is pivoting from a diplomatic-first approach to a strategy of 'verification through strength.' By explicitly linking the naval blockade to the success of peace agreement audits, the Pentagon is utilizing economic and military strangulation as a primary lever to force Iranian compliance, increasing the risk of accidental kinetic conflict in the Strait of Hormuz.
