Summary
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke at the Pentagon about the U.S. military’s actions against Iran, saying the public supports the effort and the U.S. has strong control in the region. He highlighted that Iran is moving military equipment but cannot rebuild its forces and said the U.S. Navy is using only a small part of its power to enforce a blockade on Iran. The Joint Chiefs chairman added that no ships have been boarded yet, but Iran-linked vessels will be warned or forced to stop worldwide.
Key Facts
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Americans see success in the conflict with Iran and don’t expect perfection.
- A recent poll showed nearly 60% of Americans think U.S. military action in Iran is excessive.
- Hegseth stated Iran is moving its military assets but cannot replace them after weeks of conflict.
- The U.S. Navy uses less than 10% of its total strength to enforce the blockade on Iran.
- The blockade includes 16 warships in the Middle East out of about 300 total U.S. warships.
- General Dan Caine, Joint Chiefs chairman, said no ships have been boarded yet under the blockade.
- Iranian ships approaching the blockade are warned to turn around or face boarding or use of force.
- U.S. forces will pursue Iranian-flagged vessels or ships supporting Iran anywhere worldwide.
