United States Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, said in a Tuesday press conference at the Pentagon that Iran’s recent attacks would not restart the war, saying the attacks remain “below the threshold of restarting major combat operations at this point.”
Caine added that US operations remain at “low-level kinetics at this time.”
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also spoke, saying that the US established a “red, white, and blue dome” over the Strait of Hormuz as a “gift from the US to the world.”
US forces are “providing 24/7 overwatch for peaceful commercial vessels, except Iran’s,” said Hegseth.
Hegseth noted that six ships had tried to break the US blockade since the start of Operation Project Freedom on Monday, all of which were “turned around.”
Hegseth added that Operation Project Freedom is a temporary operation separate from both Economic Fury and Epic Fury.
“Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration, with one mission, protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression,” said Hegseth. “American forces won’t need to enter Iranian waters or airspace. It’s not necessary. We’re not looking for a fight.”
Hegseth emphasized that Iran has been “harassing ships” in the Hormuz “for too long.”
“America is using its strength to lift up others,” Hegseth continued. “Iran is trying to subjugate others.”
Hegseth further said that Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz and that “hundreds of ships are lining up” to pass through the waterway.
Reiterating that the mission is “temporary,” Hegseth demanded that the world “step up,” adding that “the world needs this waterway a lot more than we do.”
“At an appropriate place and time, we will hand responsibility back to you,” he said.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump urged South Korea to join the American effort in the Hormuz after a Korean cargo ship came under fire by Iranian forces.
Source:
www.jpost.com
