Senior U.S. officials on Tuesday warned Iran against further attacks on commercial shipping, even as they stressed that the cease-fire remains intact and said maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is expected to gradually increase in the coming days.
At a Pentagon briefing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the situation remains contained despite ongoing disruptions, insisting that “the cease-fire is not over.” He warned that any renewed attacks on shipping would trigger a forceful response. “Iran will face overwhelming firepower if it attacks commercial shipping,” he said, adding that Washington is not seeking confrontation but is maintaining a temporary security mission to protect maritime traffic.
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Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine speaks at a news conference with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, U.S, last year. Credit: Kevin Wolf/AP
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine speaks at a news conference with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, U.S, last year. Credit: Kevin Wolf/AP
Hegseth said U.S. Central Command is in continuous coordination with shipping firms, insurers and partner navies, as hundreds of vessels prepare to transit the strait. He reiterated that the U.S. expects allies to take on greater responsibility over time, saying Washington intends to “hand back” aspects of the mission once conditions allow.
Top U.S. General John “Razin” Caine said approximately 22,500 mariners remain unable to move through the Gulf, underscoring what he described as an unusually large disruption to global shipping. Still, he said, “we anticipate more vessels to transit in coming days,” even as the situation remains volatile.
Caine said U.S. forces are currently operating at what he called “low-level kinetics,” and the threshold for resuming major combat operations would ultimately be a political decision. He said Iranian actions so far remain below that threshold, but warned that U.S. forces are fully prepared to escalate if ordered.
According to Caine, Iran has fired on commercial vessels nine times and seized two container ships since the cease-fire announcement. He also said Iranian fast boats, carrying personnel armed with small arms, have approached commercial shipping, which U.S. officials describe as ongoing harassment in and around the waterway.
He added that commercial vessels would increasingly “feel U.S. combat power around them on sea, in the skies” as the operation continues, while Washington maintains it is not seeking escalation.