– If Iran lays mines or otherwise threatens American commercial shipping or U.S. forces, we will shoot to destroy. Without hesitation, Hegseth said on Friday, April 24, during a briefing at the Pentagon. He also reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “has been reduced to a band of pirates with a flag” and “their real navy lies at the bottom of the Persian Gulf.”
The head of the Pentagon confirmed that US President Donald Trump has authorized the US Navy to destroy Iranian fast boats trying to lay mines or disrupt navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. He also threatened that the US would consider Iran’s continued mine-laying as a violation of the ceasefire. Axios reported on Thursday that Iran had deployed additional mines this week.
Pete Hegseth: The time for free riding is over
– We are not counting on Europe, but they need the Strait of Hormuz much more than we do and maybe they will want to start talking less and organizing less fancy conferences in Europe and get on the boat instead. This is much more their fight than ours, said the Pentagon chief. “Europe and Asia have benefited from our protection for decades, but the time for free-riding is over,” he added.
Hegseth referred to the conference in London with the participation of approximately 50 countries under the patronage of Great Britain and France. He described the European initiative as a “ridiculous conference” during which “they sat and talked about maybe one day they would do something when everything was over.”
– These are not serious actions – said the head of the Pentagon. – This is a wake-up call for countries around the world. Either you have the options or you don’t. Otherwise, you are at the mercy of a country like Iran, and the only country that can do something about it is the United States, he argued.
Information on demining the Strait of Hormuz
Journalists asked about the Washington Post’s reports that the Pentagon had informed Congress that it could take up to six months to fully demine the Strait of Hormuz. Hegseth declined to speculate on the timeline. He stated that the article was based on “another leak from a closed, closed meeting”, which he considered unacceptable.
“We are confident in our ability to clear any identified mines in a timely manner,” Hegseth said. He also encouraged other countries to join in demining the strait.
The Pentagon chief added that the blockade of Iranian ports “is growing and becoming global.” So far, 34 merchant ships have turned back after encountering American forces, and three Iranian ships have been intercepted, he said. He also announced that a second aircraft carrier would join the operation in the coming days.
“No one enters the Strait of Hormuz anywhere in the world without permission from the United States Navy,” Hegseth said.
From Washington Oskar Górzyński (PAP)
Edited by Kamila Cieślik
