Iran live updates: Trump says US Navy attacked and seized Iranian-flagged cargo ship

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine described in detail on Thursday the current state of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, warning any ship away from trying to cross the blockade line.

"This blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. The US action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz," Caine said during a press conference at the Pentagon Thursday.

Enforcement of blockade will be in in territorial seas and international waters, Caine said. Speaking in front of a map of the strait, Caine said that 13 ships had "made the wise choice" of turning around instead of attempting to traverse the waterway.

Caine said the U.S. would "actively pursue any Iranian flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran."

"This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil," he added.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned the Iranian regime that the U.S. would target "dual-use" critical infrastructure if the two sides fail to reach a deal war.

"We are reloading with more power than ever before, and better intelligence, even more importantly, better intelligence than ever before," Hegseth said. "As you expose yourself with your movement to our watchful eye, we are locked and loaded on your critical dual-use infrastructure, on your remaining power generation and on your energy industry."

"We'd rather not have to do it, but we're ready to go at the command of our president and at the push of a button. This blockade -- which the chairman will detail this morning -- is the polite way that this can go," Hegseth said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued on Thursday a new warning to the Iranian regime, telling them to "choose wisely" and to reach an agreement with the U.S. to permanently end the war.

"We prefer to do it the nice way, through a deal led by our great vice president and negotiating team, or we can do it the hard way," Hegseth said during a press briefing at the Pentagon. "We urge this new regime to choose wisely."

Hegseth issued a warning to the Iranian leadership, saying that, if an agreement isn't reached, "we're watching you. Our capabilities are not the same. Our military and yours. Remember, this is not a fair fight, and we know what military assets you are moving and where you are moving them to while you are digging out, which is exactly what you're doing, digging out of bombed out and devastated facilities. We are only getting stronger."

As Israeli strikes on Hezbollah continued on Thursday in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese president said a potential ceasefire would mark a "natural entry point" for direct negotiations between the two countries.

"Lebanon is keen to halt the escalation in the south and in all Lebanese regions so that the targeting of the innocent and the secure -- women, men, and children -- ceases, and the destruction of homes in Lebanese villages and towns stops," Joseph Aoun, the president, told a British minister, according to a statement from his office.

Auon said that only Lebanese authorities would lead potential talks, as he called for an Israeli withdrawal and for full state control over security.

The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday said it was dismantling targets it described as "terror infrastructure sites" in southern Lebanon. The Israeli army also issued a new evacuation warning to residents of southern Lebanon south of the Zahrani River, calling on them to move north and telling them that any movement south could endanger their life.

Lebanon's ministry of health said in a statement on Thursday that the Israeli army targeted ambulance teams in Nabatieh, in southern Lebanon, three times on Wednesday, killing four paramedics. An IDF spokesperson said the military was looking into the alleged strikes.

Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, launched six rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel early on Thursday, with no casualties reported. Hezbollah's press office said in a statement that they had launched rockets targeting settlements in several areas in northern Israel.

-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian and Ghazi Balkiz