Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed on Tuesday that the US-Iran ceasefire remains intact, despite fresh clashes in the Strait of Hormuz tied to Washington’s new commercial shipping escort operation.
“The ceasefire is not over,” Hegseth told Pentagon reporters.
President Donald Trump launched “Project Freedom” on Sunday to escort commercial vessels out of the Persian Gulf. Ships have sat stranded there since the war began on 28 February. Hegseth described the mission as “a separate, distinct project” from the broader conflict over Iran’s nuclear program. Iran, however, responded with attacks on US forces and commercial ships in the waterway.
Monday’s clashes featured explosions, fires, and US forces destroying six Iranian military boats, with Hegseth labelling Iran the “clear aggressor” yet stressed Washington is “not looking for a fight.” He also threatened “overwhelming force” if Iran continues targeting commercial vessels. “We said we would defend and defend aggressively, and we absolutely have,” he added.
Attacks Remain Below Escalation Threshold
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine confirmed that since the 7 April ceasefire, Iran fired at commercial ships nine times, seized two container vessels, and struck US forces more than ten times. Yet those figures stay “all below the threshold of restarting major combat operations at this point,” he said.
Additionally, Caine reported 22,500 mariners stranded in the Gulf. Some 15,000 US service members and continuous air surveillance stand ready to resume major combat if Iran crosses that line.
