'If Iran overplays its hand': US won't rule out 'kinetic strikes' on Tehran, War Secretary Hegseth warns
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'If Iran overplays its hand': US won't rule out 'kinetic strikes' on Tehran, War Secretary Hegseth warns")
U.S. President Donald Trump answers reporters' questions after signing an executive order establishing the President's Military Spouse Commission with Desiree Thompson Sayle (L), Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (3r R) and his wife Jennifer Hegseth (3rd L) in the Oval Office at the White House on August 03, 2026 in Washington, DC. Photograph: (AFP)
Washington is keeping the military option open against Iran. US War Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned Tehran not to "overplay its hand" as the Trump administration simultaneously tightens economic pressure on Iran.
The United States is not ruling out further military action against Iran, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday (Aug 24), warning that Washington could use force anywhere around Iran or the Strait of Hormuz if Tehran takes what he described as a reckless step.
Asked whether kinetic strikes were currently on hold, Hegseth said Washington had made no such decision. "No. If we need to use kinetic strikes, we'll use them," he said. "If Iran is foolish enough to overplay their hand or mess with the American military, we'll do what we need to do."
He added that the US was simultaneously escalating economic pressure, which he said was currently hurting Iran the most.
Also read | Trump calls Strait of Hormuz 'American territory', vows Iran will never get nuclear weapon
Hegseth warns over the Strait of Hormuz
Hegseth said Washington was prepared to use force "anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz or around Iran". He claimed the US had "total" control of the waterway and said its blockade remained effective, with oil shipments continuing through the strait.
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"The world economy realises that," Hegseth said, arguing that Iran had failed in its effort to establish control over the strategic shipping route. He also pointed to damage inflicted on Iran's naval, radar and missile capabilities during previous US military operations.
"They still have some capabilities, but it's nowhere near what it was at all," Hegseth said, adding that US forces could protect commercial shipping and keep oil moving through the waterway.
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US steps up 'Economic Outcast' campaign
The military warning came as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new campaign aimed at cutting Iran off from the global financial system.
Bessent said the Treasury had launched "Operation Economic Outcast", describing it as an unprecedented effort to target Iran's financial connections and revenue streams.
"Our goal is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime," Bessent said.
