The United States is stepping up economic pressure on Iran after military efforts failed to force Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and negotiations between the two sides stalled.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned that the American military has the capacity to maintain its maritime blockade of Iran indefinitely.
“The United States can sustain such a blockade indefinitely because we will rotate the warships moving into and out of the region, as we have done so far, and will continue to do so,” Hegseth said.
Pressure on Tehran has also intensified from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who warned of additional economic measures that he said would isolate Iran on an unprecedented scale.
“Expect further announcements next week, because we will impose measures on a level that has never been seen before in the history of a country’s economic isolation,” Bessent said.
Meanwhile, Iran is seeking to increase pressure on Washington by maintaining that it continues to control the Strait of Hormuz.
Traffic through the strategic waterway, which is critical to global oil transportation, remains sharply reduced, increasing pressure on international energy markets.
The International Energy Agency has warned that global oil supplies could decline by around 4.3 million barrels per day this year.
Tensions escalated further on Thursday evening after two Abu Dhabi oil tankers carrying crude were struck in an incident that authorities in the United Arab Emirates described as an Iranian attack.
