US not looking for fight, Iran is aggressor: Pentagon chief after ceasefire breach

Pete Hegseth said the US is escorting commercial vessels under Project Freedom while warning Iran against interference. The Pentagon said the mission is temporary and separate from the ceasefire, even as attacks continue.

In Short

• US Defence Secretary says ceasefire with Iran is still intact
• 2 US commercial vessels crossed the strait under the current arrangement
• Several other ships were turned back after breaching Iranian port restrictions

Amid a fragile ceasefire with Iran, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington is taking steps to safeguard commercial vessels while rejecting any step towards a prolonged or direct conflict with Iran. Speaking at a Pentagon briefing alongside General Dan Caine on Tuesday, Hegseth said the ceasefire with Iran was not over, even as the US Navy and Iran exchanged fire in the Gulf while competing for dominance in the Strait of Hormuz.

"We’re not looking for a fight. They said they control the strait, they do not," Hegseth said, adding that Iran is the clear aggressor.

"The US aims to protect shipping from Iranian aggression," Hegseth said, outlining the scope of Project Freedom, a naval effort launched by Donald Trump to escort vessels through one of the world’s busiest oil transit routes. He said that the operation is limited in nature and does not require US forces to enter Iranian airspace or territorial waters.

The Pentagon Chief dubbed Project Freedom as "defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration." He said the initiative is designed solely to "protect innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression". He retaliated that at least two American commercial vessels have successfully transited the strait under the current framework, while several others were turned back after attempting to breach Iranian port restrictions.

CEASEFIRE IS NOT OVER, HEGSETH SAYS

The Defence Secretary also dismissed claims that the operation signals the collapse of a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. "No, the ceasefire is not over," he said. "This is a separate and distinct project." However, he warned that Iran must act with caution to avoid further escalation, directing Tehran to remain "prudent" in its actions.

Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, offered a sharper assessment of Iran’s strategy. He said Iran has fired at commercial vessels nine times and seized two container ships since the ceasefire was announced, alongside more than 10 attacks on US forces. Despite this, he described the current level of hostilities as "low harassing fire".

IRANIAN ATTACKS FALL SHORT OF ESCALATION THRESHOLD, US SAYS

He said Tehran has carried out repeated attacks on commercial vessels and US forces in recent weeks, though these actions remain below the threshold that would trigger a return to full-scale combat.

"Iran is weaponising the global supply chain" and attempting to "hold the entire global economy hostage", he added.

The Pentagon has increased its forces in the region with naval destroyers that have been actively involved in countering any attacks by Iranian fast boats and drones. According to Caine, commercial ships that navigate the strait can "see, hear, and feel" the might of American forces around them.

Echoing the sentiment, Hegseth warned that any effort by Iran to cause disruption within the waterway would be strongly resisted. Meanwhile, he also claimed that its strategy is laser-focused and Washington is not looking for a prolonged war or nation-building venture linked to the Iranian issue.

- Ends
With inputs from agencies