War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the ceasefire with Iran is still holding despite several violations on Monday.
In the first press briefing after a large missile attack against the United Arab Emirates and attacks against two U.S. Navy destroyers, both said the ceasefire was still in place.
Recommended Stories
“No, the ceasefire is not over,” Hegseth responded when asked by a reporter, arguing that the department’s new mission of helping commercial ships transit the Strait of Hormuz – dubbed “Operation Freedom” – is distinct from the war that took place from February 28, through April 7, when President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire.
“Iran knows that, and ultimately, the President is going to make a decision whether anything were to escalate,” he continued, adding that he would urge Tehran to “be prudent in the actions that they take,” to keep the skirmishing “underneath this threshold.”
“Right now, the ceasefire certainly holds, but we’re going to be watching,” Hegseth added.
Iran’s recent attacks came after the president announced “Operation Freedom” over the weekend, which Hegseth described as “defensive in nature.”
Caine gave similar comments, noting that Iran’s attacks on nine commercial vessels, seizure of two, and over 10 attacks against U.S. forces were “all below the threshold of restarting major combat operations at this point.”
TRUMP TO REVIEW LATEST IRAN PROPOSAL, BUT ‘CAN’T IMAGINE IT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE’
“The threshold of restarting is a political decision above my pay grade,” he added later, when pressed on what the threshold was. “What I’ll say is it’s low harassing fire right now. It feels like Iran is grasping at straws to try to do something across the southern flank.”
The Monday attacks have increased fears that the war would restart, with the UAE and Israel boosting their combat readiness in the meantime. President Donald Trump was more vague on whether the attacks constituted the breaking of the ceasefire, as he wouldn’t say whether it was still active during a Monday appearance on the Hugh Hewitt Show.
U.S. forces participating in “Operation Freedom” are not directly escorting ships individually, however, they are using a variety of capabilities to present a clear threat assessment.
CENTCOM commander Gen. Brad Cooper said on Monday: “There’s not specific escort. If I just described this overall, if you’re escorting a ship you’re planning kind of one on one, I think we have a much better defensive arrangement in this process where we have multiple layers that include ships, helicopters, aircraft, airborne early warning, electronic warfare, and we have a much broader defensive package than you would have ever if you’re just escorting. I feel good about that, and it was proven just in the last couple of hours.”
President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire on April 7, and extended it indefinitely before its expiration. In announcing the continuation, Trump said it was because the Iranian leadership is “seriously fractured.”
It’s unclear exactly who is in charge in Iran. The Supreme Leader Ayatalloh Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen publicly since assuming the position after the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the opening attacks of the war.
The regime’s paramilitary group, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has seemingly increased its hold on power and Caine appeared to affirm that in Tuesday’s briefing.
“The regime led by the IRGC is effectively attempting to hold the entire global economy hostage,” he said.
