SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH: Well, as you know, President Trump has directed U.S. Central Command 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, focused in scope and temporary in duration, with one mission: protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression.
American forces won't need to enter Iranian waters or airspace. It's not necessary. We're not looking for a fight, but Iran also cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their goods from an international waterway. Iran is the clear aggressor, harassing civilian vessels, threatening mariners from every nation indiscriminately and weaponizing a critical chokepoint for its own financial benefit, or at least trying to.
For too long, Iran has been harassing ships, shooting at civilian tankers from all nations and trying to impose a tolling system. Iran's plan, a form of international extortion, is unacceptable. That ends with Project Freedom. Two U.S. commercial ships, along with American destroyers, have already safely transited the strait, showing the lane is clear.
We know the Iranians are embarrassed by this fact. They said they control the strait. They do not. So, American ships led the way, commercial and military shouldering the initial risk from the front, as Americans always do. And right now, hundreds more ships from nations around the world are lining up to transit.
CENTCOM, along with partner nations, is in active communication with hundreds of ships, shipping companies and insurers. All of these ships from all around the world want to get out of the Iranian trap that they have been stuck inside. As a direct gift from the United States to the world, we have established a powerful red, white and blue dome over the strait.
American destroyers are on station, supported by hundreds of fighter jets, helicopters, drones, and surveillance aircraft, providing 24/7 overwatch for peaceful commercial vessels except Iran's, of course, which is why our ironclad blockade remains in full effect as well. In fact, six ships tried to run the blockade out of Iranian ports as Project Freedom commenced, and they were all turned around.
This is more than strategy. It's also humanitarian. By breaking Iran's illegal stranglehold, we're protecting the lives and livelihoods of sailors from dozens of countries, securing global energy routes and preventing shortages that hit the world's poorest people the hardest. Once again, America is using its strength to lift up others. Iran is trying to subjugate the world.
To what remains of Iran's forces, if you attack American troops or innocent commercial shipping, you will face overwhelming and devastating American firepower. The President has been very clear about this. We prefer this to be a peaceful operation, but are locked and loaded to defend our people, our ships, our aircraft, and this mission without hesitation.
To Iran, let innocent ships pass freely. These international waters belong to all nations, not to Iran to tax, toll or control. To our partner — partners, allies and the rest of the world, this is a temporary mission for us. As I've said before, the world needs this waterway a lot more than we do. We're stabilizing the situation so commerce can flow again, but we expect the world to step up. At the appropriate time and soon, we will hand responsibility back to you.
To the incredible Americans executing this mission right now, simply thank you. Your courage, your readiness, your unmatched professionalism and precision are why the world can breathe easier today and every day. You are and always will be the greatest fighting force in human history, unmatched always.
Project Freedom is underway. Commerce will be flowing, and America is once again leading with strength, clarity, and purpose for the benefit of the entire world. Our will is unshakable. God bless our troops and God bless the mighty United States Navy as well.
Mr. Chairman, over to you.
GENERAL DAN CAINE: Thank you, Mr. Secretary, and good morning, everyone. Thanks for being here. On Sunday, at the direction of the President, CENTCOM initiated Project Freedom with the objective of facilitating the safe passage of international commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Over the past seven weeks, Iran's repeatedly threatened and attacked commercial shipping in the strait in order to effectively cut off commercial traffic and damage the global economy.
By obstructing one of the world's most critical maritime checkpoints, a vital transit route for approximately one-fifth of the global oil consumption, Iran is weaponizing the global supply chain. This action disregards established navigational rights in the law of the sea, and the regime, led by the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps], is effectively attempting to hold the entire global economy hostage.
Let me give you an update of the last few days of activities. And if you take a look at the map here, as the Secretary said, the United States has established Project Freedom to open up the Strait of Hormuz. This graphic highlights the kinetic engagements that the Iranians have attempted to make or have taken against the region.
The green dots and blue dots show the groupings of commercial cargo and tanker vessels. And the United States has established a significant presence over the strait here in order to open up the free flow of commerce, noting the blockade can — still continues along the eastern flank.
The map shows the examples and samples of Iranian attacks against commercial vessels in the strait, as well as the Gulf of Oman and up in the Arabian Gulf. Since the ceasefire was announced, Iran has fired at commercial vessels nine times and seized two container ships, and they've attacked U.S. forces more than ten times, all below the threshold of restarting major combat operations at this point.
You can also see the group of tankers and cargo vessels in the U.S., blockade line, as I mentioned. As a result of Iran's indiscriminate attacks across the region, there are currently — 22,500 mariners embarked on more than 1,550 commercial vessels trapped in the Arabian Gulf, unable to transit.
In addition to shipping, Iran has continued to deliberately attack its neighbors. Just yesterday, Iran attacked Oman once and the UAE three times, including an attack on Fujairah oil terminal, which was successfully defeated. They also launched cruise missiles, drones, small boats at U.S. forces defending commercial shipping in the straits, and United States Navy MH-60 helicopters and Army AH-64 Apache helicopters successfully defeated those threats. Thus far, today is quieter.
Let me describe this defensive operation just a few clicks down for you. As the secretary said, Project Freedom is designed to protect commercial shipping and help restore the flow of commerce through the strait and sustain freedom of navigation. CENTCOM has established an enhanced security area on the southern side of the strait that is now protected by U.S. land, naval and air assets to help defeat further Iranian aggression against commercial shipping.
I'd like to share a little bit more about U.S. capabilities, but for operational security purposes, I'm not going to get into specific details out there. On the surface, guided missile destroyers and other warships are detecting and defeating Iranian threats. This includes fast boats and one way attack drones.
In the air, more than 100 fighters, attack aircraft and other manned and unmanned aircraft, synchronized by the 82nd Airborne Division, are in the air 24 hours a day providing defensive overwatch for the enhanced security area and its approaches that I discussed.
These forces are comprised of over 15,000 American service members, and have established localized air and sea control to protect against Iranian threats. Commercial vessels that transit through the area will see, hear, and frankly feel U.S. combat power around them on the sea, in the skies, and on the radio.
And as of this morning, as was mentioned prior, two U.S. flagged merchant vessels have transited, and we anticipate more to transit over the coming days. Further up the gulf, US Naval Forces Central Command continues to work to identify and mitigate any threats.
Beyond Project Freedom, CENTCOM and the rest of the joint force remain ready to resume major combat operations against Iran if ordered to do so. No adversary should mistake our current restraint with a lack of resolve. And the president has said, as the secretary has, that now is the time for those with equity stake in the strait to come assist.
Before I turn it back to the secretary, I want to take a moment to highlight part of our joint force today, and today I want to talk about the paratroopers of the United States Army 82nd Airborne Division. When the President or the secretary need immediate, scalable and lethal combat power in CENTCOM or elsewhere, the All American Division answers the call.
The 82nd is the core of our nation's immediate response force and ready to deploy within hours of notice. These paratroopers are capable of accomplishing any mission in any environment, constantly training, constantly ready to jump from Air Force aircraft into ground combat and seize key terrain if ordered to do so, just like their predecessors did in Sicily and Normandy in World War II, or to secure or enable the follow-on forces to flow into theater as they did in Grenada or Panama.
They can do the range of missions, from counterinsurgency to counterterrorism operations to power projection, as they have many times over the course of the history of this great division. They can do all these things because they're incredibly well trained, well equipped and well led, but also because of the indomitable spirit of the All American paratrooper.
Every single one of them volunteered for this role, volunteered to go to airborne training and volunteered to serve, but this division is now more than just a formation that we use for forcible entries. For example, just today they are out there coordinating, integrating and synchronizing land, air, space, sea and cyber forces using all — joint all domain command and control.
They use next generation tactical networks that are AI enabled to augment intelligence and operations, and they seamlessly synchronize all of these effects and are doing so in support of Project Freedom as we speak. The relentless focus on technical innovation allows the commanders out there in the field to see, sense and understand the opportunities that are in front of them along with the associated risks, and make smart decisions out on the objective.
With incredible courage, tenacity and grit, they are going all the way every day. And whenever the nation calls on them, they are there to answer the call. We are grateful for their service and their leadership.
Lastly, before I close, as I often do I want to remember some of our fallen. Today we remember Sgt. William Rivers, Spc. Brianna Moffett, and Spc. Kennedy Sanders of the 718th Engineering Company, U.S. Army Reserves, out of Fort Benning, Georgia.
They were tragically killed on January 28th, 2024 when attacked by an Iranian backed proxy force at Tower 22 in Jordan. We continue to carry on their memories. We remember their names. We remember their families. And the secretary and I are deeply grateful for all of our deployed forces who are out there doing our nation's work.
And sir, with that, I'll kick it back over to you.
SECRETARY HEGSETH: Very good. We'll take a few questions. Go ahead.
Q: Thank you. Alexandera Ingersoll, One America News. Mr. Secretary, do you assess what's left of this small boat fleet to be a significant threat or a nuisance to be managed? And then secondly, what is your message to critics who say that the US doesn't have a strategy in this mission?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: Well, any threat needs to be taken seriously, and — just like those six attack boats that the chairman mentioned were taken seriously and dealt with before they were any real threat to the American military vessels that they were approaching. And that is — it — small craft like that are all that Iran has left.
Their ability to get — close with a destroyer of the capabilities that we have is limited. But we're going to take it very seriously and kinetically quickly, and we're not going to allow a threat to gather. And I can tell you, even from just this morning, the strategy is — remains laser focused.
In fact, what I think you see from Project Freedom is that we're not allowing ourselves to get distracted. This is a separate and distinct effort, temporary in nature, that we plan to hand over the world. The world has expressed a desire to be a part of this.
As is often the case, or maybe almost always the case, American leadership is required, so the president was willing to undertake this, send commercial ships through, send destroyers in, provide this red, white and blue bubble of protection, and encourage the world to step up, because ultimately this waterway is, as I said, far more crucial to the rest of the world and they need to have the ability to defend it. So, I think this is a reflection of a — of a laser focused strategy, actually.
Right here.
Q: Morning, Mr. Secretary, Mr. Chairman. David Zia, Real America's Voice. I wanted to ask you, of any of the fast boats that have been either sunk or identified, are there any armaments larger than, say, small, you know, AK-47 type stuff or any anti-ship cruise missiles identified?
And my second question is, if there's a divide between the IRGC and Tehran, is there a way to get Tehran to agree to let us go after the IRGC that — that is doing these attacks without violating the ceasefire?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: Well, right now, anything coming at our crafts would — regardless of what's on it, has to be defended against, and that's the case. I don't know what — the exact armaments that were on those fast boats.
GENERAL CAINE: Small arms. Nothing significant on the fast boats.
SECRETARY HEGSETH: Rifles or small machine guns. There were some small coastal cruise missiles shot down as well. So, there's been some frothiness in the beginning aspects of this that were dealt with very directly by our destroyers. And we're communicating both overtly and quietly to the Iranians to allow this defensive operation to happen on behalf of the world.
There are some actions the IRGC takes sometimes that are outside the bounds of what maybe Iranian negotiators would like. That's their job to rein that in, and ultimately create a condition for a deal, right? That's not something I talked about in these remarks, but that's happening in real time. Iran has an ability to make that deal.
But what we're demonstrating with Project Freedom is they don't control the strait. I mean, we know Iran is embarrassed by the fact that our blockade is holding and we can run ships through and we're going to help the world run ships through. And if they hold it at issue, the whole world knows who's doing it. It's not us. We're willing to open it up. It's Iran, and that creates a dilemma for them, and we hope they make a deal.
Q: Thank you, sir. My first question is for General Caine. Mary Margaret with the Daily Wire. You said that the attacks by Iran so far are below the threshold of restarting major combat operations. What is that threshold?
And then for Secretary Hegseth, are there still concerns about mines in the strait? And can you kind of clarify these reports of kamikaze dolphins that we've heard about?
GENERAL CAINE: I haven't heard — the kamikaze dolphin thing. It's like sharks with laser beams, right?
GENERAL CAINE: The threshold of restarting is a political decision above my pay grade. 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.
To your question, David, their command and control structure remains very fractured, and I think they're struggling to maintain control down echelon at the edge. But it's still pretty low level kinetics at this point in time.
SECRETARY HEGSETH: And I can't confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins, but I can confirm they don't, ultimately.
Any follow-on effort, if there are mines identified, would be something that our — some of our units could undertake or the world could undertake. But right now, we know we have a lane of safe passage that commercial shipping can flow through.
Q: Thank you, Secretary Hegseth. The last 24 hours or so, Iran's fired at us. We've fired at Iran. I'm just going to ask you more directly. Is the ceasefire over?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: No, the ceasefire is not over. Ultimately, this is a separate and distinct project. And we expected there would be some churn at the beginning, which happened. And we said we would defend and defend aggressively, and we absolutely have. Iran knows that.
And ultimately, the President's going to make a decision, whether anything were to escalate, into a violation of a ceasefire. But certainly, we would urge Iran to be prudent in the actions that they take to keep that underneath this threshold. This is about the straits. This is about freedom of navigation. This is about international waterways.
This is about free flow of commerce, all the things that happened before and only Iran is contesting. So, right now, the ceasefire certainly holds, but we're going to be watching very, very closely.
SECRETARY HEGSETH: James, go ahead.
Q: Mr. Secretary, thank you. General, thank you. I want to first express my gratitude and admiration for the work you do and for everyone involved in our armed forces, and also for the accomplishments of Operation Epic Fury, which I think are too often dismissed too lightly.
But those accomplishments don't obscure, I think, a central default that has occurred here, and I would like you both to address it. On the first day of this conflict, President Trump addressed the Iranian people directly and said, when we're finished, take over your government. It'll be yours to take.
And then on the seventh day of the conflict, in a Truth Social post the president said, "There will be no deal with Iran except," all caps, exclamation mark, "unconditional surrender." What happens to that pledge to the Iranians? And when did the president decide to capitulate on his demand for unconditional surrender?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: Well, James, I wouldn't — you started out nicely, but you ended — exactly where we knew you would end. The president hasn't capitulated on anything. He holds the cards. We remain the — we maintain the upper hand, and Project Freedom only strengthens that hand. And so, he will ensure that, whatever deal is made or whatever end state is reached, creates ensuring that Iran never has a nuclear weapon, which is A number one.
And he's been focused on that and the deal and discussions are centered on that. And what the Iranian people take advantage of after the fact is up to them, and he's been very clear about that. And maybe you do it now. Maybe it happens later. But ultimately, he's also been clear we're not going to entangle this into some nation building project.
Our objectives are clear. They're been pursued from day one. Hopefully, the Iranian people take advantage of that because they're being taken advantage of by this regime. As you know, 45,000 Iranians, innocent Iranians, killed before the outset of this.
That's what this government does, kills their own innocent civilians. Getting out from underneath that is going to be a challenge of the Iranian people, and we certainly hope they take advantage of that. Thank you.
Q: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Can you share any information regarding the South Korean ship that was reportedly hit by Iran? Is Seoul in contact with the U.S. military about it? And is there any indication that they would heed Trump's call made on social media to join Project Freedom?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: We hope so. We're in contact with that ship — CENTCOM, I should say, and the Maritime Coordination Forces are in touch. And I think targeting like that is a reflection of the indiscriminate nature of what Iran is doing.
We hope South Korea would step up, just like we hope Japan would step up, just like we hope Australia would step up, just like we hope Europe steps up, but we're not waiting for them to do so. We're looking to set the conditions to hand to them.
But the President was clear in his Truth message that, hey, this is your ship. You should take part in helping to defend it. We very much hope they do. Thanks.
Q: Mr. Secretary, in terms of new US intelligence reports suggest that a timeline for the war in Iran to get a nuclear weapon has not changed since last summer, still at 9 to 12 months. Is that intelligence wrong? How can this be after so much bombing?
And for General Caine, going on — back onto what you were talking about, the Strait of Hormuz, the President recently said that the blockade is even more effective than bombing. So, why didn't we start the campaign with the blockade? And initially, how many planned — ships do you plan to escort or take through, commercial ships, through the Strait of Hormuz today or in the coming days?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: Well, we don't discuss the specifics about intel, and anybody that does shouldn't be. And I can't confirm or deny whether that is indeed correct speculation, as far as I'm concerned, coming from you.
But ultimately, what Operation Midnight Hammer did in the obliteration of those facilities was set back their program. And then, because of the efforts of that 12 day war, the president was able to recognize that this threat, while they continued to seek nuclear capabilities, their will was still there to seek a nuclear bomb, ultimately they were creating a conventional umbrella of so many missiles and so many capabilities that no one would want to challenge them.
Think of the North Korea — this is the North Korea strategy. We have so many conventional capabilities you won't do something about it. And underneath that, we're going to develop more nuclear capability. So, the will was still there.
President Trump had the courage to say we have to dismantle and take on those conventional capabilities, while the — while the dust — while the nuclear facilities are watched 24/7 and overwatched. And we will ensure, one way or another, hopefully Iran chooses a deal, that they give up those ambitions, give up those capabilities, and we're able to confirm that every step of the way.
So, President Trump's been focused on it. He's set them back like no other president. He ripped up the terrible deal that would have given them a bomb. He took care of it in Midnight Hammer. We're watching it right now, and ultimately feel good about the fact that the end state will ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon.
SECRETARY HEGSETH: Go ahead.
GENERAL CAINE: Sir, I'll let CENTCOM talk to the number of ships they're going to take through, because they're the nearest ones to talking to the commercial shippers and I don't want to get out in front of them.
On the order and sequence around the military objectives, that's a decision the President and the Secretary go — get us at. And at the time, we were focused on the primary objectives that were in front of us. Thank you for your question.
Q: Ryan Morgan with The Epoch Times. On Friday, President Trump notified Congress that the hostilities that began on February 28th had terminated. That came on the deadline of the 60 day war powers deadline. Will this administration be seeking Congressional approval for any further military operations if the ceasefire breaks down?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: Our view is the one you described that ultimately with the — with the ceasefire, the clock stops. If it were to restart, that would be the president's decision. That option is always there, and Iran knows that. And that's why, you know, the — their choices in Project Freedom are important.
The President retains the opportunity and the capabilities — more capabilities than we had at the start of this to restart major combat operations if necessary. If Iran is not willing to follow through on its side of the bargain or make a deal, then the War Department is postured, locked, loaded and ready to go. We hope it doesn't have to go in that direction, but Admiral Cooper and our forces are in a three point stance and ready to go.
Yeah, last question.
Q: Thank you. Liam Cosgrove with ZeroHedge. In recent weeks, both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's head of Mossad have stated their intent not to cease combat with the Iranians. Netanyahu put this on Twitter. Israel's head of Mossad said Israel's goals are not finished until the Iranian government collapses.
And so, they're referring to the government that President Trump has brokered a ceasefire with and is working on a lasting peace in the region with. And so, that's, you know, something many Americans, especially American farmers, are hoping, he does get to a lasting peace.
And so, if President Trump is successful in that and the Israelis are explicitly stating their intent to continue fighting at a later date, how can you ensure America doesn't get roped back into a war if that comes? And secondly, with Netanyahu comfortable tweeting something like that out, and also Netanyahu has continued bombing Lebanon despite President Trump explicitly telling them not to —
SECRETARY HEGSETH: I would say your question is based on the false premise that somehow President Trump is being pulled in by Prime Minister Netanyahu —
SECRETARY HEGSETH: To any of these actions. And I'm — this — that's where you're going. Just to be clear, President Trump has led at every step of this based on his view of American interests and America first.
And we are grateful that Israelis have been very capable partners at many steps of this. And they may have some objectives at times that are slightly different than ours. But there's only one hand on the wheel ultimately directing this, whether it's Project Freedom or previously Operation Epic Fury, and it's President Trump.
So, we're grateful for their input, their insights, the existential nature of the threat they face from an Iranian bomb, the capabilities that they can bring to that. But ultimately, the coordination will happen with the leadership of President Trump.
SECRETARY HEGSETH: Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Thank you.