US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday that US President Donald Trump's administration was not ruling out using military force against Iran, even as Washington unveiled an "economic D-Day" against Tehran.
"By no means are we foreclosing using kinetic strikes anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz or around Iran," Hegseth told reporters, adding that Iran could not handle the economic pressure being put on it.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the start of "Operation Economic Outcast" on Iran in remarks at a press conference on Monday following earlier threats of an "economic D-Day" against the regime.
"Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone," said Bessent.
Bessent described the operation as "a sustained campaign to collapse every last option for Iran," saying that those involved in "any" economic cooperation with Tehran would expose themselves to "the full reach of American power."
'Economic Outcast' to last until Iran 'stands alone,' Bessent said
"Any entity that facilitates money laundering on behalf of Iran will be removed from the US Dollar system," he emphasized. "the clock just started ticking."
He further warned against any nation "testing" the resolve of the US government.
"It is now a time for world leaders to make a decision between prosperity and isolation, peace and terror, America and Iran," he declared.
Bessent concluded his remarks by noting that Operation Economic Outcast would continue until Iran "stands alone."
Iran won't have nuclear weapon, State Dept. spox. maintains
Trump is still set on preventing Iran from attaining a nuclear bomb, US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a Newsmax interview on Monday afternoon.
"The president has been clear that he is going to see the Iranian nuclear weapons threat come to an end," he said, adding that "He will see that objective be completed one way or another."
"Past presidents have simply identified the threat."
"President Trump is taking action to prevent that threat from becoming a reality, the untenable threat of the Iranian regime having a nuclear weapon."