US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Thursday that the US Armed Forces are prepared to resume attacks on Iran if Tehran does not reach a peace agreement with Washington during the current temporary ceasefire.

Hegseth indicated at a press conference in The Pentagon stated that US forces remain in the region to “implement a tight blockade” in the Strait of Hormuz and ensure an “optimal position to resume combat operations should this new Iranian regime make a bad decision and fail to reach an agreement.” “This is precisely what we urged this morning. We hope this new Iranian regime chooses wisely” and that a deal is reached, the secretary added, describing the US blockade of Iranian ports as “the most diplomatic option” for exerting pressure on the Islamic Republic. Hegseth warned the Iranian military leadership that “they are being watched” and that they know “what military resources they are moving and where they are moving them.” He insisted that the US Navy “controls the traffic entering and leaving the Strait (of Hormuz)” because they have “real resources and capabilities,” and are therefore prepared to maintain this operation “for as long as necessary.” “But if Iran makes a bad decision, then it will face a blockade and bombs falling on its infrastructure, its electrical and energy systems,” he threatened. The Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, agreed that the American command “remains prepared and ready to resume major combat operations at any time.” For his part, the head of U.S. Central Command, Brad Cooper, explained that troops are making good use of the time during the ceasefire. “We are rearming, we are renewing our equipment, and we are adjusting our tactics, techniques, and procedures,” he told the press. U.S. President Donald Trump,He has said in recent hours that the war “is about to end” and that there will be new peace negotiations with Iran after the failure of the first round in Islamabad, Pakistan. Next Wednesday marks the second week of the ceasefire agreement, which is contingent upon the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic hydrocarbon waterway blocked by Iran in retaliation for the war launched on February 28 by the United States and Israel. The White House clarified this Wednesday that negotiations for a second round of talks are ongoing and that, if they take place, these talks would again be held in Pakistan, under the mediation of that government.