

3 min readUpdated: May 5, 2026 06:33 PM IST
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, while providing update on West Asia conflict on Tuesday, said that America is “not looking for a fight” but “Iran cannot be allowed to block innocent countries” from transiting the Strait of Hormuz as Washington’s aim remains to “protect” ships from Tehran’s “aggression.”
Mentioning President Donald Trump’s initiative ‘Project Freedom’, Hegseth said that the project is different from US military’s Operation Epic Fury, which was launched on February 28 against Iran. The defence secretary said Project Freedom’s mission is to “protect innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression.”
Hegseth called on other countries to help the United States and expects them to “step up” in an effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Issuing a warning to Tehran, he said Iran will “face overwhelming US firepower” if it tries to disrupt Project Freedom.
Earlier, Trump said that US “shot down” seven small Iranian boats in the Gulf region and when Hegseth was asked if Iran’s small boat fleet is considered to be a significant threat, the defence secretary responded saying the American strategy in Iran is “laser focused” and that US is not allowing itself to be distracted.
.@SECWAR “President Trump has directed @CENTCOM to restart the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz under the umbrella of PROJECT FREEDOM.
To be clear, this operation is separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury.
PROJECT FREEDOM is defensive in nature,… pic.twitter.com/gU9lB0sVGA
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) May 5, 2026
When asked by reporters during the press briefing at Pentagon if the latest exchange of fire meant that the ceasefire is over, Hegseth said “No, the ceasefire is not over. This is a separate and distinct project.”
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, who also spoke during the Pentagon press briefing, said around 22,500 mariners on 1,550 commercial vessels remain stuck in the Strait of Hormuz and are unable to transit. Accusing Iran of “weaponising global supply chain,” Caine added Tehran is attempting to “hold the entire global economy hostage.”
The army general said Iran’s missile, small boats and drones attacks, which took place on Monday on American forces, were defended successfully by US helicopters.
Stay updated with the latest – Click here to follow us on Instagram
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
