The United States says the ceasefire with Iran remains in effect
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth maintains that the operation to escort ships through Hormuz will be "temporary" and that other nations will also have to take charge.
WashingtonThe United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has said that the "truce remains in effect" despite the latest Iranian attacks against Gulf countries,The Pentagon chief has encouraged Tehran to "be prudent" and warned that "ultimately, the president can decide if something should become a violation of the ceasefire." The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, recalled that the Iranians have attacked US forces more than 10 times since the truce began. Hours earlier, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, had accused the US of endangering navigation through the maritime passage and warned that "we haven't even started yet."
Hegseth has described the new operation to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz as "defensive." US President Donald Trump announced the plan on Sunday under the name "Operation Freedom," which has triggered the new escalation in the region. Hegseth has assured that the mission will be "temporary" and has warned that soon, other nations will have to get involved as well. Yesterday, Trump already
after a South Korean ship was affected by the crossfire between the United States and Iran.
The Central Command (CENTCOM) admitted yesterday to having intercepted three Iranian cruise missiles and claimed to have sunk six Iranian speedboats. But the ayatollahs' attacks have not only been directed at US positions. Just like at the beginning of the war, Tehran has once again applied the logic of horizontal warfare and also opened fire on other Gulf countries. Oman reported a bombing in a residential area, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) bore the brunt with at least 12 intercepted missiles and four drones. Israel sent one of its anti-aircraft defense systems to the UAE yesterday, in an extraordinary gesture of rapprochement with the Arab country after normalizing relations in 2020 through the Abraham Accords.
Caine stated that the military is "prepared to resume military actions" if ordered to do so, but assured that, for now, Iran's attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz have not reached the threshold that would compel them to resume combat operations. He also added that more ships are expected to be able to transit through the strait in the coming days.
Commercial distrust
Despite the resumption of hostilities further sinking the scarce confidence that shipping and insurance companies might have when transiting through Hormuz again, Hegseth has assured that "trade will soon flow again." The Secretary of Defense has detailed that they have established a large "red, white, and blue" dome through the deployment of drones, aviation, and aircraft to ensure the safe passage of vessels through the strait. While he has assured that they are not seeking any "aggression," he has also warned that "Iran is the clear aggressor" and that it has acted "for its own benefit" and that its "international extortion is unacceptable." Directly addressing the ayatollah regime, he said: "If they attack American troops or innocent commercial ships, they will face devastating American fire.
Likewise, Hegseth has boasted that two commercial ships and American destroyers have already safely transited the strait, which in his opinion has "embarrassed" Tehran. He has also reiterated that the blockade of Iranian ports remains active and recalled that "six Iranian vessels have tried to leave and have been forced to turn back."
At this point, according to Hegseth, there are 22,500 sailors on board more than 1,550 commercial ships trapped in Hormuz. But this should soon change, and therefore, he assures, hundreds of ships from various nations around the world are lining up to pass. "Everyone wants to get out of the Iranian trap," he stated.
The Pentagon chief has directly addressed partners and allies, telling them that "the world needs this route much more" than the United States does, and that they expect "the world to step forward." "We will soon give them back responsibility," he said. And he directly referred to South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Europe, of which he said he expects them to "step forward."
