Hegseth warns that the US could use force against Iran; Tehran: We are prepared for the sanctions

Washington has not ruled out the possibility of military intervention against Iran. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that every scenario remains on the table.

The warning came after the United States announced new sanctions against nearly 60 entities, individuals and vessels, with the aim of increasing economic pressure on Tehran.

“We are in no way ruling out the possibility of military strikes in the Strait of Hormuz or around Iran,” said Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of defense. According to him, Iran will not be able to withstand the economic pressure being exerted on it.

Tehran, however, does not appear alarmed by President Trump’s strategy for an economic “D-Day” against Iran. Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh said the country was “fully prepared” for the American measures, which, in his view, would end only in “another defeat” for the United States.

Speaking to state television, Madanizadeh said the government had a two-year plan for dealing with developments and had long expected such a situation. He added that neither China nor Russia had accepted the US sanctions, while predicting that other countries would also resist them. “We have our own tools as well, and we know how to play this game,” the minister said.