US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addresses reporters at a press briefing held at the Pentagon. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
During a Pentagon briefing this morning, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the US initiative to direct ships out of the Strait of Hormuz is “separate and distinct” from the current military operation in the area.
“Just to clarify, this operation is different and distinct from Operation Epic Fury,” Hegseth stated. “Project Freedom is defensive in nature, limited in scope, and temporary in duration, with a singular mission: Safeguarding innocent commercial shipping from Iranian hostility.”
The secretary reported that two US commercial ships have passed through the strait, while six other vessels that tried to breach the blockade of Iranian ports “were all diverted.”
Hegseth emphasizes “the ceasefire is still in effect.”
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth maintained that the “ceasefire is not finished” despite both parties engaging in fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
“No, the ceasefire hasn’t ended.” In the end, this is an independent and unique project, and we anticipated there would be some turnover initially, which occurred,” he stated during a press conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine stated that Iran has struck US forces over 10 times since the ceasefire was declared, but indicated that this is under the “threshold for resuming significant combat operations.”
Adm. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, informed reporters on Monday that the US “destroyed” six Iranian small boats in the Strait.
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