US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said today that the US operation to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is temporary and that Washington is not seeking a direct confrontation with Iran. According to him, the achieved truce remains valid, Reuters reports, BTA reports.
“The truce has not been terminated“, Hegseth stressed to journalists, specifying that the US will react decisively if necessary, but without seeking escalation. He added that the final decisions in case of any violations of the ceasefire will be up to the president.
At the same time, tensions in the Middle East are increasing after Washington and Tehran exchanged blows in the Persian Gulf region, in the context of the dispute over control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Reuters notes.
The US administration has launched a new operation under the name “Project Freedom“, announced as a measure to protect commercial ships in the region. According to Hegseth, the operation is limited, defensive in nature and temporary in nature.
“Our primary mission is to protect commercial shipping from aggression“, he said, emphasizing that US forces will not enter Iranian territory or airspace and that the goal is not conflict.