President Donald Trump said the US may reinstate the naval blockade on Iran, adding that "everyone can now do whatever they want," according to a statement reported Wednesday. Separately, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US may strike Iran "with force and deeper" tonight, in remarks that echoed Trump's earlier threats.
This report merges two statements from President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth that were reported in the same message from a curated channel. Both statements refer to the escalating US military posture toward Iran following confirmed strikes on Kharg Island and Iranian air defenses on Tuesday night.
Trump's remark — "we may reinstate the naval blockade, everyone can now do whatever they want" — follows a thread of shifting signals. Earlier on Wednesday, Trump had said the US would "probably" strike Iran again and declared the ceasefire "over," as The Zioneer reported at 16:14. The naval blockade was first floated as a possibility in earlier threats, including Trump's Tuesday confirmation of the Kharg Island strike and a potential island seizure, published by The Zioneer at 16:41.
Hegseth's statement — that the US may strike Iran "with force and deeper" tonight — was reported at 16:38 and matches the strategic escalation outlined by Trump. The two officials' remarks are consistent, but the exact timing and scope of any overnight action remain unannounced. The claims rest on a single curated-source message each; no independent confirmation of the operational details was available at time of drafting.
3 developments
- DevelopingFox News: US military ready to respond if Iran decides to strike back
- DevelopingWSJ: US warships on alert as Trump may order naval blockade of Iran 'within hours'
- StrongHegseth: When siege is fully lifted, trade will flow; US can reimpose 'iron siege' if Iran fails to comply
- StrongUS reportedly preparing another wave of strikes, target list includes Iranian power plants
Source and signal
- Internal intake