US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth threatened Iran with a tenfold military response if it continues its attacks on commercial ships and countries in the region, noting that Tehran has wasted all available opportunities for negotiations amid the ongoing escalation between the two sides for the tenth consecutive day, which led to the suspension of the memorandum of understanding signed between them last month.

According to Al Arabiya, Hegseth said during a press conference at the White House on the sidelines of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Lebanese counterpart Joseph Aoun that Iran missed every opportunity for communication and dialogue, and that President Trump has multiple options to deal with the escalation. He added: If they want to talk, they can talk, otherwise they will face the US Department of War, and Iran had a large amount of weapons, which is a threat that requires a firm stance.

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He continued: If Iran continues the attacks, we will strike them tenfold, day after day and night after night.

Change of course for 8 ships The US military announced on Tuesday that its forces changed the course of 8 commercial ships and disrupted one ship since the resumption of the blockade on Iran, according to Al Arabiya.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard said it had stopped two oil tankers that were trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard reported, according to the official Iranian news agency IRNA: Two violating oil tankers were stopped while trying to pass through the unsafe southern route of the Strait of Hormuz, after explosions caused large fires on board them.