US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the US will maintain its “ironclad” blockade of Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz during a press briefing at the Pentagon.  The US played down the prospect of a return to active war with Iran after a day of clashes involving ships in the Strait of Hormuz and missile strikes against the United Arab Emirates. Attacks by Tehran on vessels in the Persian Gulf and the UAE didn’t constitute a breach of a ceasefire, General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Jo