Hegseth calls West Asia conflict gift to world
Speaking to reporters on Friday at the Pentagon, Hegseth said the US blockade of Iranian shipping will continue “as long as it takes” to accomplish America's “bold and dangerous” mission to end Iran's threat to global security.
US officials say that so far, the blockade has turned back 34 ships, but ship-tracking data shows Iran has still been able to move some of its sanctioned oil.
Lloyds List Intelligence said “a steady flow of shadow fleet traffic” has passed in and out of the Persian Gulf, including 11 tankers with Iranian cargo that have left the Gulf of Oman outside the strait since April 13.
The maritime intelligence firm Windward said this week that Iranian traffic continues to flow “via deception.” Iranians are able to evade the blockade by faking tracking data and by travelling through Pakistani territorial waters.
