Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire “certainly holds” for the moment, even as periodic clashes and attacks continue to test the truce. Speaking alongside Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, Hegseth warned that U.S. forces remain “locked, loaded and ready to go” if Tehran fails to honor its commitments, and said the military is positioned to resume major combat operations if necessary.
Caine characterized recent incidents as “below the threshold of restarting major combat operations,” but reported that Iran had struck U.S. forces more than 10 times since the ceasefire announcement in April, attacked commercial vessels on nine occasions and seized two container ships. He detailed Project Freedom, a U.S. operation intended to ensure safe passage for international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, noting warships, aircraft and more than 15,000 service members are providing defensive overwatch for transits.
President Trump said Tuesday there has been “Great Progress” toward a “Complete and Final Agreement” with Iran and announced that, at the request of Pakistan and other countries, Project Freedom would be “paused for a short period of time” while negotiators try to finalize a deal. He stressed the broader U.S. blockade of Iranian ports will remain in place and emphasized he does not want to send troops into Iran, saying, “We don’t want to go in and kill people.” He expressed hope a military confrontation can be avoided.
The pause comes amid ongoing U.S. military activity. CENTCOM reported that 51 vessels had been ordered to turn back or return to port under the blockade. Officials described a violent encounter earlier in the week when Iranian forces launched missiles, drones and small boats as commercial ships escorted by U.S. forces transited the strait; U.S. officials said several fast Iranian boats were destroyed and characterized the U.S. response as defensive.
Maritime attacks have caused damage and injuries. U.S. officials told CBS News that the cargo ship CGM San Antonio, near Dubai, was struck by a possible land-attack cruise missile, wounding several Filipino crew members. The UAE reported a missile-and-drone barrage that ignited a fire at an industrial complex in Fujairah and injured workers. Other commercial vessels reported projectiles, fires and small-boat attacks across the Gulf region.
Shipping companies and navies have adapted. Maersk said its ship Alliance Fairfax transited the Strait of Hormuz under U.S. escort and completed the passage “without incident.” The U.S. described escorted lanes as “clear,” while Iran warned of “firm response” against ships that deviate from routes it designates as safe. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has insisted only Iran-approved corridors are permissible, threatening ships that leave those corridors.
Diplomacy has proceeded alongside military measures. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Beijing to meet China’s top diplomat Wang Yi. Wang said China was “deeply distressed” by the fighting and called for an urgent comprehensive ceasefire and renewed commitment to dialogue. Araghchi said Tehran will accept only a “fair and comprehensive agreement” and described talks — facilitated in part by Pakistan — as “making progress,” while criticizing Project Freedom as a military measure that cannot resolve a political crisis.
Washington has been pressing regional and international partners as well. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, briefing from the White House, described Project Freedom as defensive and said “there’s no shooting unless we’re shot at first.” Rubio announced the conclusion of Operation Epic Fury and presented Project Freedom as the current stage of U.S. efforts to protect shipping. Allies have contributed: Germany sent a minesweeper to the Mediterranean ready for a possible mission to help clear the Strait of Hormuz, and France and the U.K. are working to build a coalition to keep the waterway open.
The U.S. is also pressing Iraq for concrete steps to distance state institutions from pro-Iran armed groups before resuming suspended financial transfers and security assistance. A senior State Department official said restoring full support will require removing militias from state institutions, cutting their budget support and denying salaries to militia fighters.
At the U.N., the United States and Gulf partners circulated a draft Security Council resolution that would press Iran to stop attacks on ships, end what the U.S. calls “illegal tolls,” disclose mine locations to restore freedom of navigation and participate in U.N. efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor for essential goods. Tehran has responded defiantly: an IRGC deputy commander predicted the U.S. “will ultimately be defeated” if tensions escalate, and Iran’s foreign ministry denied hostility toward Gulf states while blaming “imported security” for regional instability.
Regional governments have urged restraint. Saudi Arabia called for de-escalation and diplomacy, Arab interior ministers condemned renewed strikes on the UAE, and Lebanon’s president urged his army to assume sole security authority in southern Lebanon to curb Hezbollah’s role, reflecting broad regional concern.
On the ground, Project Freedom has coordinated escorts for hundreds of commercial vessels seeking to leave a Persian Gulf they say has been restricted by Iran’s measures. Pentagon leaders say U.S. forces will defend shipping and personnel while giving diplomacy a chance; Hegseth reiterated that the president “retains the opportunity and the capabilities” to restart major combat operations if negotiations fail but expressed hope confrontation can be avoided.
As President Trump prepares to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week, he said Iran will be on the agenda and urged China — a major buyer of Iranian oil — to use its influence. The diplomatic push and continued naval activity highlight a precarious balance: negotiators work toward a final agreement even as escorts, skirmishes and regional strikes keep the fragile ceasefire under strain.