Hegseth Issues Update On Iran Ceasefire As Tensions Boil Over In Middle East

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military’s operation to guide vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is a temporary measure and “separate and distinct” from broader U.S. military action in the region, as Washington insists the Iran ceasefire is still holding despite repeated flare-ups.

“The ceasefire is not over,” Hegseth said, a day after the Pentagon began the ship-guidance effort in one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.

The Strait of Hormuz has become the front line of the standoff, with shipping disruptions and fresh attacks testing a fragile pause in fighting. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, said Iran has attacked U.S. forces more than 10 times since the ceasefire took effect.

Iran’s parliament speaker, meanwhile, accused the United States and its allies of putting secure shipping at risk after a day of attacks in the strait, warning: “we have not even begun yet.”

The White House is leaning into the pressure campaign. President Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that the U.S. naval blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports is holding firm and won’t be challenged.

“The blockade has been amazing. It’s like a piece of steel. Nobody is going to challenge the blockade,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

Trump said Iran is still looking for an off-ramp, even if Tehran’s public messaging suggests otherwise.

“They play games, but let me just tell you, they want to make a deal, and who wouldn’t, when your military is totally gone,” Trump said.

He also signaled he wants Iran’s financial system to collapse under U.S. pressure.

“Well, I guess so, because we’re making it fail,” he said. “I hope it fails. You want to know why? Because I want to win.”

Trump also brushed off the hit to American consumers, calling higher energy costs the cost of accomplishing larger goals. He told reporters he expected prices to spike even more sharply.

“I also thought oil would go up to $200, $250, maybe $300, and I know it will be short term,” Trump said.

He added, “I look today, it’s like at 102 (dollars) and that’s a very small price to pay for getting rid of a nuclear weapon from people that are really mentally deranged.”

Economic indicators are flashing warning signs as the conflict drags on. Analysts say demand for oil is falling at the fastest pace seen outside the COVID-19 pandemic, as consumers and businesses cut back amid higher prices and, in some places, tighter supply.

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At the pump, Americans are feeling the squeeze. The average price of a gallon of gas is now $4.48, according to AAA. That is up 31 cents this week and roughly 50% higher since the conflict began more than nine weeks ago.

Inside the Pentagon, officials are trying to keep the Strait of Hormuz from becoming a full-scale trigger point. Hegseth’s message was that the navigation mission is meant to stabilize maritime traffic and reduce risk in the waterway, even as U.S. forces maintain broader readiness.

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But the ceasefire is under strain. Caine’s tally of attacks since the pause began underscores how quickly the situation can jump from “truce” to crisis, especially with commercial traffic and energy markets caught in the middle.

For now, the administration is betting the blockade and maritime enforcement will force Tehran back to the table. The question is whether Iran’s leaders see the same incentives, or whether the escalating clashes in and around Hormuz become the spark that blows the ceasefire apart.

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