Hegseth refuses to rule out US strikes on Iran amid sanctions

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said ⁠on Monday that President Donald Trump's administration ⁠was ​not ruling ⁠out using military ⁠force against Iran.
"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.
The warning follows U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's announcement of an economic D-Day featuring new sanctions against Tehran.
Bessent cautioned that an unnamed financial institution is set to face U.S. sanctions by the end of the week.