Pete Hegseth. Photo: Collected

WASHINGTON, United States, May 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The United States is "not looking for a fight" over the Strait of Hormuz, but any Iranian attack on shipping will be met with a "devastating" response, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Tuesday.

"We're not looking for a fight. But Iran also cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their goods from an international waterway," Hegseth told reporters, adding: "If you attack American troops or innocent commercial shipping, you will face overwhelming and devastating American firepower."