US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, in a press conference at the Pentagon, that the truce between Iran and the United States still exists.
As noted by Reuters, the head of the administration made the statement amid reports that the countries have exchanged attacks on each other’s ships as part of the struggle for control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier, the US military said that it destroyed six Iranian boats, as well as cruise missiles and drones, after US President Donald Trump’s announcement. It was also reported that Iran attacked two American destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz.
In addition, on May 4 and 5, the authorities of the United Arab Emirates I mentionedIran has launched missiles and drones across the country. The UAE is a major ally of the United States in the region.
“We are not looking for conflict,” Hegseth said at a news conference. He added: “At the moment, the ceasefire is definitely in place, but we will monitor the situation very closely.”
In turn, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kean, said that since the ceasefire was announced on April 7, Iran has violated the truce several times: the Iranian army opened fire on commercial ships and American ships, and also seized two container ships.
But he said that the attacks “have not at this stage reached the point that could lead to the resumption of large-scale hostilities.”
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since the beginning of the war between Iran, the United States, and Israel. Initially, shipping traffic through the strait was virtually halted due to Iran’s threats to attack ships that attempted to pass through the sea route. Later, the United States added a naval blockade, which for its part does not allow ships to enter Iranian ports.
Before the fighting, up to 20% of global oil shipments passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The cessation of shipping along this route was one of the reasons for the rise in oil prices around the world.
Freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is one of the main points in the negotiations between the United States and Iran, which have reached a dead end. Some US and Israeli officials believe Trump may order a resumption of hostilities as early as this week if the two sides fail to make progress in negotiations. He writes Axios published.