Live: Hegseth Pentagon Press Conference on Iran War News Amid Hormuz Blockade, Navy Secretary Fired
Why It Matters
The aggressive blockade and vessel seizures raise the stakes of U.S.–Iran tensions, threatening global shipping routes and signaling a new, force‑based approach to curbing Iran’s nuclear program.
Key Takeaways
- •U.S. Navy enforces global blockade targeting Iranian vessels in Hormuz.
- •Destroyer disabled MV Tusca after six hours of ignored warnings.
- •Interdicted two VLCCs, Tiffany and Majestic X, under Justice Department request.
- •Operation Epic Fury touted as decisive, short‑term campaign against Iran.
- •Secretary highlighted intelligence role and warned of further escalation.
Summary
The Pentagon held a live briefing to detail the United States’ ongoing naval campaign, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, aimed at pressuring Iran over its nuclear ambitions. Senior officials outlined a sweeping maritime blockade that now extends from the Strait of Hormuz to the Indo‑Pacific, with U.S. warships intercepting any vessel deemed to be transiting Iranian ports.
Key operational data were disclosed: 34 ships voluntarily turned back, while one container vessel, the MV Tusca, ignored repeated warnings and was disabled after a six‑hour standoff, its engines hit by inert rounds before U.S. Marines boarded it. In the Pacific, the Navy seized two very large crude carriers, the Tiffany and the Majestic X, at the request of the Department of Justice, demonstrating the global reach of the interdiction effort.
Officials quoted the mantra “nothing in, nothing out” and stressed that Iran “will never get a nuclear bomb.” The Secretary praised the intelligence community’s role in locating and tracking the “dark‑fleet” ships, and warned that any Iranian attempts to lay mines or attack commercial traffic would be met with lethal force.
The briefing signals a heightened risk of escalation in a critical shipping corridor, potentially disrupting global oil flows and forcing allies to reassess their reliance on U.S. maritime security. It also underscores the Trump administration’s willingness to employ direct naval action as a lever in diplomatic negotiations with Tehran.
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