U.S. War Secretary: Iran Has a Chance to Make a "Good Deal"

SadaNews - Despite the stalled negotiations between Tehran and Washington, U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that Iran has the opportunity to strike a "good deal" with the United States, adding that time is not on Tehran's side.

Hegseth said in statements to reporters from the White House, "Iran has a historic opportunity to conclude a serious deal, and the ball is in its court," noting that the naval blockade against it is "intensifying."

He added, "We are imposing a comprehensive blockade on the Strait of Hormuz," indicating that the U.S. Navy has so far forced 34 ships to change course and return from the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. War Secretary noted that if there are attempts to plant more mines, this would represent a violation of the ceasefire, according to him.

However, he pointed out that there are ships passing safely through the Strait of Hormuz, and he continued, "It is not possible to determine the timeline necessary for the removal of mines from the Strait of Hormuz."

He clarified that European efforts regarding Hormuz are not serious so far.

Shortly after the U.S. Secretary of Defense's statement, Axios revealed that Iran had laid more mines in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week.

Operations to Intercept Iranian Shadow Fleet Ships Will Continue

For his part, U.S. Chief of Staff General Dan Keen stated that the United States will continue to carry out interception operations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans against Iranian ships.

He continued in a joint press conference with Hegseth, "America is imposing a comprehensive blockade on the Strait of Hormuz," noting that operations to intercept ships of the Iranian shadow fleet will continue.

These statements come as the United States has deployed a third aircraft carrier to the waters near Iran, in a move aimed at enhancing military pressure concurrently with the stalled political negotiations between the two sides.

The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush has joined two other carriers, Gerald Ford and Abraham Lincoln, adding dozens of fighter jets and thousands of soldiers to the operational theater in the Middle East.

The U.S. Central Command has announced that three aircraft carriers are operating in the Middle East simultaneously for the first time in decades.

This reinforcement comes at a time when Washington is seeking to push Tehran towards making concessions on its nuclear file, restoring the Strait of Hormuz to international navigation, and ending military tension that has persisted for weeks.

It is worth noting that closing the Strait of Hormuz has had tremendous repercussions on the global economy, especially since one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments pass through this corridor.