US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted the “ceasefire is not over” even though both sides have exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
Hegseth maintained that the “ceasefire remains intact,” even as Iranian forces have carried out more than 10 attacks on US positions since its announcement of “project freedom”, actions officials described as below the threshold for resuming full-scale combat operations.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has established an enhanced security area on the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard commercial shipping and ensure freedom of navigation amid ongoing tensions with Iran, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said on Tuesday.
“Project Freedom is designed to protect commercial shipping and help restore the flow of commerce through the strait,” Caine said, adding that the secured zone is being guarded by US land, naval, and air assets.
The development comes as the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran continues to hold despite repeated low-level incidents in the region.
Hegseth said the maritime mission in the Strait of Hormuz is “separate and distinct” from ongoing military operations, describing ‘Project Freedom’ as a defensive and temporary effort aimed at protecting commercial vessels from Iranian aggression.
When asked whether Iran’s small boat fleet poses a significant threat or is merely a nuisance in the Strait of Hormuz, Hegseth said the “threat must be taken seriously,” stressing that even smaller-scale maritime actions can impact security in the strategic waterway.
Hegseth added that the US strategy toward Iran remains “laser focused” and emphasised that Washington will not allow itself to be distracted from its objectives in the region.
“Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration, with one mission:
protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression,” Hegseth said, drawing a careful line between the escort operation and the broader military campaign, Operation Epic Fury, that preceded the ceasefire.
Two US commercial vessels have already transited the strait under the new framework. Six ships that attempted to violate the blockade of Iranian ports, Hegseth said, “were all turned around.”
Hanging over all of this is a ticking legal clock. Under the War Powers Act of 1973, the president has 60 days to conduct military operations without congressional authorization — a deadline many lawmakers place at May 1, based on Trump’s notification to Congress on March 2. Hegseth argued Tuesday that the ceasefire stops the clock entirely, meaning Trump would not need congressional approval if hostilities resumed.
“If it were to restart, that would be the president’s decision,” he said. “That option is always there. And Iran knows that.”
The warning was unambiguous. “The president retains the opportunity and the capabilities — more capabilities than we had at the start of this — to restart major combat operations if necessary. If Iran is not willing to follow through on its side of the bargain, the War Department is postured, locked, loaded, and ready to go.”
Talks in Islamabad ended without agreement. Trump extended the ceasefire to give Tehran time to produce what he called a “unified proposal.” That window is narrowing.
In the Strait of Hormuz, the guns have not gone silent. The only question now is whether the next exchange crosses the threshold that even Washington can no longer explain away.
According to US officials, the operation has already facilitated the safe passage of American commercial ships through the strait, while several vessels attempting to approach Iranian ports were turned back.
Tensions in the region escalated following earlier US and allied strikes on Iranian targets, with both sides later agreeing to a temporary ceasefire. However, sporadic confrontations, including US action against Iranian small boats in the Strait, have kept the situation volatile.
He said the US retains the capability to resume major combat operations if required, but emphasized that current efforts remain focused on maintaining maritime security and stability in the strategic waterway.
Caine said that US destroyers are detecting and “defeating” Iranian threats, which he says include both fast boats and drones.
He says that commercial vessels passing through the area will be able to see, hear, and “feel” the combat power of the US around them.
The joint chiefs chairman adds that the country is ready to resume major combat operations against Iran if ordered to do so, and that the US’s current restraint should not be confused with a “lack of resolve”.
