US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington is not ruling out further military strikes on Iran, despite the Trump administration’s intensifying economic pressure on Tehran. He said the United States maintains control of the Strait of Hormuz and that its blockade is “ironclad,” while claiming Iran cannot move oil through the waterway and the US can protect shipping. Hegseth also said the administration expects Congress to approve the full $1.5 trillion defense request, including during a lame-duck session after the November midterm elections but before the newly elected Congress takes office in January. He described munitions purchases as “pretty sacred” and said long-term agreements aim to increase supplies of some priority weapons two-, three- or fourfold. Hegseth declined to discuss reports that US stocks of ATACMS long-range missiles had been significantly depleted, saying the military had “plenty” available. He also confirmed that the USS Abraham Lincoln is returning home after an extended deployment of more than eight months without a port call, a US Navy record, amid reports from sailors’ families of worsening conditions and morale aboard the carrier.