US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Iran that Washington would respond to attacks on commercial shipping with strikes “10 times harder,” saying the US military was degrading Iranian capabilities further each night, APA reports.
“Iran has been given every opportunity to negotiate, to show that they’re reasonable on the Strait of Hormuz,” Hegseth said. “But if they’re going to shoot at commercial shipping, then we’re going to hit them, as the president said, 10 times harder.”
Hegseth said President Donald Trump had “all the options necessary,” adding that Tehran could either return to negotiations or “deal with the War Department.”
“If they want to talk, they can talk,” he said. “Otherwise, they can deal with the War Department, and we’re prepared.”