Any Iranian attack on shipping will be met with a "devastating" response: Hegseth

The United States is "not looking for a fight" over the Strait of Hormuz, but any Iranian attack on shipping will be met with a "devastating" response, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Tuesday.

"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, adding: "If you attack American troops or innocent commercial shipping, you will face overwhelming and devastating American firepower."

BBC Adds

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says the US-Iran ceasefire "is not over", despite the US and Iran launching attacks in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

Hegseth also says Iran is attempting "international extortion" in the strait, but "that ends with Project Freedom".

And he claims there is a "red, white and blue dome" over the waterway - with the transit of two US commercial ships on Monday proving it is "clear".

Earlier, Iran's top negotiator warned the US that "we are just getting started".

Donald Trump's "Project Freedom" aims to use the US military to guide stranded cargo ships out of the Strait of Hormuz.

But Iran insists that it controls the strait - and yesterday fired missiles and drones at military and commercial ships, according to the US.

There are 22,500 mariners on 1,550 commercial vessels trapped in the Gulf, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine says.