--- title: "US defence secretary says naval blockade of Iran can continue indefinitely" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-defence-secretary-says-naval-blockade-of-iran-can-continue-indefinitely" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-defence-secretary-says-naval-blockade-of-iran-can-continue-indefinitely" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-defence-secretary-says-naval-blockade-of-iran-can-continue-indefinitely.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-defence-secretary-says-naval-blockade-of-iran-can-continue-indefinitely" category: "Conflict & Security" area: "Middle East" published: "2026-08-13T20:46:30.874Z" source_reported: "2026-08-13T20:09:05.000Z" updated: "2026-08-13T20:46:30.874Z" trust_score: 78 critic_score: 85 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-13T21:31:03.918947+00:00" --- # US defence secretary says naval blockade of Iran can continue indefinitely *Pete Hegseth told reporters in Panama the US Navy can rotate ships in and out of the region to sustain the operation* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 78 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports corroborate the central claim with named sources and figures. - Craft 85 of 100, higher is better. Quotes, figures and context provided in both reports. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Headlines are measured and proportionate to the body text. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US Navy can maintain its naval blockade of Iran indefinitely by rotating ships in and out of the Middle East. - The US has deployed tens of thousands of troops and over 20 warships to the region since the conflict began in February 2026. - US forces have redirected more than 55 commercial vessels attempting to breach the blockade, disabling three and boarding two. - Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks against US allies and targeted commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on 13 August 2026 that the US military can maintain its naval blockade of Iran indefinitely. Hegseth made the statement in Panama after addressing the crew of the USS Gridley, a guided-missile destroyer previously deployed to the Middle East. The US has deployed tens of thousands of troops and more than 20 warships to the region since the conflict began in February 2026. The blockade, imposed after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has redirected over 55 commercial vessels attempting to breach it. US forces have disabled three ships and boarded two. Earlier this week, a US Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of a Panama-flagged vessel after it allegedly ignored warnings. The US maintains the blockade targets Iranian shipping while allowing freedom of navigation for vessels travelling to non-Iranian ports. Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks against US allies in the region and targeted commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz without its permission. The conflict has disrupted global energy supplies, as the strait previously carried about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. ## What the reports disagree on The spelling of the defence secretary’s name is reported as both "Hegseth" and "Hagset". Live Mint, The Korea Times, CNN Brasil, NDTV, Hospodárske Noviny, WTVB, humenglish.com, The Straits Times and Naftemporiki use "Hegseth". Unknown (nv.ua) and Eurointegration use "Hagset". ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mentioned the mental health concerns raised by the prolonged deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln or reports of suicide attempts among its crew. The Korea Times and Live Mint both reported these details. None of the digests, regardless of rating, included the finance ministry’s cost estimate for sustaining the blockade, as no report supplied that figure. ## Who covered it Shares of the 8 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 13% (1) - Centre: 24% (2) - Right: 63% (5) 9 of 17 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-13T21:31:03.918947+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 4 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-13T21:45:19.461Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The Korea Times report led on the US military’s capacity to sustain the blockade indefinitely through ship rotations. It included Hegseth’s statement that the US Navy could maintain the operation "for as long as needed to help so-far failed negotiations to end the conflict". The report also noted the blockade’s impact on global energy supplies and Iran’s continued influence over the Strait of Hormuz despite US military strikes. - The Korea Times quoted President Donald Trump’s claim on Truth Social that the US has "total control over the Strait of Hormuz" and described the blockade as a "WALL OF STEEL". It also mentioned Trump’s resistance to escalatory measures such as deploying ground troops or targeting desalination plants, framing the administration’s stance as a response to domestic political pressure ahead of the November midterm elections. ### Centre - Live Mint and WTVB both reported Hegseth’s statement that the US Navy could maintain the blockade indefinitely by rotating ships in and out of the region. Live Mint led with the defence secretary’s assertion that the US has "enough military assets" to sustain the operation, framing it as a signal of Washington’s preparedness to maintain pressure on Tehran. - Live Mint included Trump’s claim on Truth Social that the US has established "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz, describing the blockade as a "WALL OF STEEL". The report also noted the blockade’s impact on global energy supplies and Iran’s retaliatory actions, including missile and drone attacks against US allies. It mentioned reports of deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln but quoted Hegseth dismissing them as "completely misrepresented". ### Right - The four right-rated digests, NDTV, Globo, Protothema and The Straits Times, all led on Hegseth’s statement that the US military can maintain the blockade indefinitely. NDTV and Globo framed the comments as advice to President Donald Trump that the US can sustain economic pressure on Iran to support negotiations. Protothema reported the Pentagon’s plan to send the aircraft carrier George Washington to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln. - None of the right-rated digests mentioned the blockade’s impact on global energy supplies or Iran’s retaliatory attacks against commercial vessels. None included Trump’s claim that the US has "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz or described the blockade as a "WALL OF STEEL". **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 4 - high: 4 - unknown: 9 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Tribune India](https://tribuneindia.com/news/usa-news/us-can-maintain-naval-blockade-on-iran-indefinitely-says-war-secretary-hegseth) — US can maintain naval blockade on Iran indefinitely, says War Secretary Hegseth - The Tribune - [CNN Brasil](https://cnnbrasil.com.br/internacional/eua-podem-manter-bloqueio-naval-por-tempo-indeterminado-diz-pentagono) — U.S. Can Maintain Naval Blockade for "Indeterminate Time," Says Pentagon - [大纪元 Epoch Times](https://epochtimes.com/b5/26/8/13/n14829320.htm) — Pentagon: US Could Impose an Indefinite Naval Blockade on Iran - [Unknown](https://nv.ua/ukr/world/geopolitics/morska-blokada-iranu-ssha-mozhut-pidtrimuvati-operaciyu-bezstrokovo-zayaviv-gegset-50632449.html) — Pentagon Chief: US Can Support Iran's Naval Blockade Indefinitely - [NDTV](https://ndtv.com/world-news/us-can-maintain-naval-blockade-of-iran-indefinitely-says-pete-hegseth-11906985) — US Can Maintain Naval Blockade Of Iran "Indefinitely", Says Pete Hegseth - [Hospodárske Noviny](https://hnonline.sk/svet/96296880-armada-usa-ma-dostatok-prostriedkov-na-neobmedzenu-blokadu-iranu-budeme-striedat-lode-tvrdi-hegseth) — The U.S. Army Has Enough Resources to Defend Itself Against the Blockade of Iran. Budeme Striedať Lode, Tvrdí Hegseth - [Live Mint](https://livemint.com/news/us-news/hegseth-says-us-can-maintain-iran-blockade-indefinitely-as-strait-of-hormuz-standoff-deepens-11786640504091.html) — Hegseth says US can maintain Iran blockade ‘indefinitely’ as Strait of Hormuz standoff deepens - [Unknown](https://eurointegration.com.ua/news/2026/08/13/7243470) — The United States Says It Has Enough Resources for an “Endless” Naval Blockade of Iran - [www.ertnews.gr](https://ertnews.gr/roi-idiseon/iran-parateinetai-o-naytikos-apokleismos-ton-ipa-sxediazetai-anaptyksi-neou-aeroplanoforou-stin-perioxi) — Iran: US Naval Blockade Extended — New Aircraft Carrier Planned to Be Deployed in Region - [WTVB](https://wtvbam.com/2026/08/13/us-can-keep-naval-blockade-on-iranian-ports-indefinitely-pentagon-chief-says) — US can keep naval blockade on Iranian ports “indefinitely,” Pentagon chief says - [The Korea Times](https://koreatimes.co.kr/world/20260814/us-can-keep-naval-blockade-on-iranian-ports-indefinitely-pentagon-chief-says) — US can keep naval blockade on Iranian ports "indefinitely," Pentagon chief says - [humenglish.com](https://humenglish.com/latest/us-can-keep-naval-blockade-on-iranian-ports-indefinitely-pentagon-chief-says) — US can keep naval blockade on Iranian ports ‘indefinitely,’ Pentagon chief says - HUM News English - [Globo](https://valor.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2026/08/13/eua-podem-manter-bloqueio-a-portos-do-ir-por-tempo-indeterminado-diz-pentgono.ghtml) — U.S. Can Keep Iran's Ports Blocked for an Indefinite Period of Time, Says Pentagon - [The Sunday Guardian Live](https://sundayguardianlive.com/world/us-israel-iran-war-latest-news-the-clock-is-not-on-their-side-hegseth-warns-iran-as-us-blockade-continues-as-long-as-it-takes-260594) — US-Israel-Iran War Latest News: ‘The Clock Is Not on Their Side’ Hegseth Warns Iran as US Blockade Continues, ‘As Long as It Takes’ - [Protothema](https://protothema.gr/world/article/1864548/hegseth-o-nautikos-apokleismos-tou-iran-tha-sunehistei-gia-oso-hreiastei-aposuretai-apo-ti-mesi-anatoli-to-) — Hegseth: Naval Blockade of Iran Will Continue as Long as Necessary - [The Straits Times](https://straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/us-can-keep-naval-blockade-on-iranian-ports-indefinitely-pentagon-chief-says) — US can keep naval blockade on Iranian ports "indefinitely," Pentagon chief says - [Naftemporiki](https://naftemporiki.gr/kosmos/2149955/wsj-o-naytikos-apokleismos-toy-iran-tha-diatirithei-gia-oso-diastima-chreiastei-leei-o-chegkseth-to-pentagono-schediazei-na-steilei-aeroplanoforo-stin-periochi) — WSJ: Iran Naval Blockade Will Be Maintained as Long as Necessary, Hegseth Says – Pentagon Plans to Send Aircraft Carrier to Region ## Questions **How long can the US maintain its naval blockade of Iran?** US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US Navy can maintain the blockade indefinitely by rotating ships in and out of the Middle East. The operation has been sustained since the conflict began in February 2026, with over 20 warships deployed to the region. **What has the US naval blockade of Iran achieved so far?** Since imposing the blockade, US forces have redirected more than 55 commercial vessels attempting to breach it. Three ships have been disabled, two have been boarded, and a US Navy helicopter fired Hellfire missiles into a Panama-flagged vessel’s engine room after it ignored warnings. **How has Iran responded to the US naval blockade?** Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks against US allies in the region and targeted commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz without its permission. The strait, a critical global energy route, has seen prolonged disruption to oil and gas shipments. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-defence-secretary-says-naval-blockade-of-iran-can-continue-indefinitely. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "US defence secretary says naval blockade of Iran can continue indefinitely", https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-defence-secretary-says-naval-blockade-of-iran-can-continue-indefinitely