•Gambia-flagged tanker vessel Bili anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran
The United States says while it is “not looking for a fight” with Iran over the contentious Strait of Hormuz, it would not shy away from any confrontation.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said today that any Iranian attack on ships plying the route will be met with a “devastating” response, reports AFP.
“We’re not looking for a fight. But Iran also cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their goods from an international waterway,” Hegseth told reporters.
“If you attack American troops or innocent commercial shipping, you will face overwhelming and devastating American firepower.”
‘Ready for combat’
Meanwhile, General Dan Caine has said that the US forces are ready to resume major combat operations against Iran if they are ordered to do so.
Speaking with reporters, the top US military officer said America’s restraint should not be viewed as a “lack of resolve”.
Caine said the US Central Command “and the rest of the joint force remain ready to resume major combat operations against Iran if ordered to do so”.
“No adversary should mistake our current restraint with a lack of resolve,” he added.
