U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth asserted that the American military is prepared to keep a naval blockade on Iranian ports in place for as long as necessary, relying on ship rotations to maintain the pressure.
His comments came as the Pentagon prepares to swap aircraft carriers in the region and as Iranian officials pushed back against claims of normal traffic through a critical waterway.
Hegseth: Blockade Can Last ‘Indefinitely’
Speaking to reporters, Hegseth said the United States Navy has the capacity to sustain a blockade on Iranian ports without a fixed end date.
“Indefinitely, the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we’ll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we’ll continue to,” he stated, according to Al Jazeera.
The remarks underscored Washington’s position that continuous naval presence, achieved through sequential deployments rather than a single permanent force, would allow the operation to continue as long as policymakers decide it is required.
NEW: Secretary of War Hegseth on Iran:
“We can hold [the blockade] as long as we need to. Indefinitely the U.S. Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we’ll rotate ships in and out like we have and will continue to do.” pic.twitter.com/xPU9nWbYV3
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) August 13, 2026
USS George Washington Set to Relieve Abraham Lincoln
The Wall Street Journal reported that the United States is preparing to send the aircraft carrier USS George Washington to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is already operating in the theater.
Officials familiar with the matter described the move as part of a previously planned rotation rather than an emergency response.
The Journal noted that the Abraham Lincoln has been on an extended deployment marked by relatively few port visits, a detail that aligns with Hegseth’s comments about longer-than-usual assignments and limited shore leave.
🇺🇸 Hegseth just pushed back hard on the reports about conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln.
He said the claims are completely misrepresented and that the crew has everything the military can give them.
He gave real respect to the sailors for grinding through long deployments… pic.twitter.com/5gMcjgbNVd
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 13, 2026
Carrier Conditions Defended as ‘Completely Misrepresented’
Hegseth also addressed reports describing difficult living and operating conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. He dismissed those accounts as inaccurate. “We make sure every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment,” Hegseth told reporters during a visit to Panama, Reuters reported.
He acknowledged that some deployments last longer than others and expressed particular appreciation for the sailors involved. “Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody. What they do in those high seas in those austere conditions with less port calls — it’s incredible,” he said.
Iran Rejects Claims of Normal Strait of Hormuz Traffic
Iranian military officials rejected U.S. statements that commercial shipping is moving normally through the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday, a spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said no vessel can transit the strategic waterway without Iranian approval.
According to the ISNA News Agency and Iranian state media, Ebrahim Zolfghari declared that the strait remains under Iran’s “full management and control.” “No commercial vessel or oil tanker can or will have safe passage through the Strait without the permission and supervision of Iran’s powerful Armed Forces,” Zolfghari said.
Kiran Asim is a writer who covers the U.S., Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East. Her reports and analyses look at the geostrategic issues and contemporary developments and their economic and political implications. She also writes about society and education.
