Hegseth warns blockade of Iran will continue as long as it takes, threatens fresh strikes on energy

Analysis
The blockade-scope expansion from Iranian-port traffic to global interception with contraband declaration, corroborated by Stars and Stripes with apparent direct defense-reporter access to CENTCOM, converts a bilateral maritime standoff into prize-court economic warfare carrying third-country reinsurance exposure. Thirteen turn-arounds in four days establish operational credibility, but the durable pressure point is how long foreign insurers and classification societies cooperate once cargoes reach judicial ambiguity. Hegseth's infrastructure-bombing rhetoric most likely previews prepared target decks: refinery nodes, transformer yards, and grid chokepoints rather than nuclear facilities directly, with a roughly even chance of renewed US kinetic action within 10 days, a deliberate limited strike to reset the ceiling being more probable than resumption of the full campaign.