Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday the U.S. can hold the Strait of Hormuz "indefinitely."The comments come as the U.S. continues to urge Iran to make a deal for control of the strait.While President Trump maintains tha t the U.S. controls the key waterway, Iran alleges that it is in control and is making public demands in order to open it.The Trump administration has warned it continues to evaluate all options for dealing with Iran if the impasse continues.A U.S. official told Scripps News Thursday while the president has said he prefers a diplomatic solution, he "continues to retain all options if Iran continues to engage in terrorism and refuses to make a deal."The official noted the economic impact of sanctions and the ongoing naval blockade against Iran. They urged Iran to come to the table for a deal, stating "Otherwise they know what will happen."RELATED STORY | Iran says Strait of Hormuz wont reopen until US meets sweeping demandsIn an interview Thursday, Vice President JD Vance put the standoff and the potential impacts to the U.S. in economic terms, saying the administration's goal was to keep domestic energy costs down."Thats goal number one: keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country," he said.Vance said the second goal was to ensure Iran never obtained nuclear weapons.The war would end, he predicted, with the strait returned to a place where oil and gas prices are stable for the American people" but he did not offer a timeline for ending the conflict. ...read more read less