Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday the U.S. ceasefire with Iran is holding, despite an exchange of fire the day before that resulted in the sinking of at least six Iranian boats that had been harassing commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The ceasefire is not over,” Mr. Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon.
Standing alongside Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mr. Hegseth said the Iranian attacks have so far remained “below the threshold” necessary to declare the ceasefire void.
He said the remnant of Iran’s navy consists of the small boats it has deployed against commercial vessels trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the U.S.-Israeli air campaign against the Islamic Republic.
Mr. Hegseth said Tehran’s naval remnant is being dealt with by U.S. forces in Project Freedom, the mission to free neutral vessels along the strait that have been trapped by Iran’s blockade of the choke point.
“Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope, and temporary in duration, with one mission: protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression,” Mr. Hegseth said. “Iran is the clear aggressor — harassing civilian vessels, threatening mariners from every nation indiscriminately, and weaponizing a critical chokepoint for its own financial benefits.”
He called Project Freedom a powerful “red, white, and blue dome” over the Strait of Hormuz. He confirmed that two U.S. commercial ships, along with U.S. Navy destroyers, have successfully passed through the region.
“We know the Iranians are embarrassed by this fact. They said they controlled the strait [but] they do not,” he said.
He said U.S. warships, supported by “hundreds” of jet fighters, combat helicopters, drones and surveillance aircraft, are providing an around-the-clock overwatch for any peaceful commercial vessels.
“Except for Iran’s, of course, which is why our ironclad blockade [of Iranian ports] remains in full effect,” Mr. Hegseth said.
The Pentagon leader sent a direct message to “what remains of Iran’s forces.”
“If you attack American troops or innocent commercial shipping, you will face overwhelming and devastating American firepower,” he said. “We prefer this to be a peaceful operation, but we are locked and loaded to defend our people, our ships, and our aircraft — and this mission — without hesitation.”
