Dan Coats said on Tuesday that Iran had fired upon merchant vessels nine times and seized two container ships after the ceasefire announcement, while launching over ten attacks against U.S. forces—yet these actions have not yet crossed the threshold for the United States to resume large-scale bombing operations against Iran. Hegseth also emphasized at a Pentagon press briefing that the ceasefire has not ended, that the U.S. “does not seek conflict,” and that the maritime re-opening operation in the Strait of Hormuz, dubbed "Operation Freedom," is independent from the war launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran on February 28. This statement serves both to signal that the Pentagon is attempting to disentangle the strait crisis from the original war with Iran, thereby avoiding acknowledgment that full-scale hostilities have resumed; and also constitutes the clearest public admission by the Trump administration to date that this conflict has far exceeded its initial scope. Coats noted that conditions in the strait had eased somewhat compared to Monday.
Yet the ceasefire continues to face multiple pressures. Events on Monday included Iran reportedly firing warning shots at U.S. naval vessels, an attack on a South Korean oil tanker, and U.S. forces opening fire on Iranian boats. The U.S. claims to have destroyed six "attack craft," while Iran stated that two cargo ships were hit, resulting in five civilian deaths. Additionally, oil facilities in Fujairah port, UAE, were struck by drones and missiles. Iranian media and officials had previously hinted at Tehran’s involvement, but Iran’s military denied it on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Hegseth stated that the U.S. would not indefinitely offer such “direct giveaways” to other nations, and Washington expects other countries to step in and participate in reopening the strait at the appropriate time. This demand is no easy task: U.S. allies urgently need shipping lanes restored, yet may be unwilling to shoulder responsibility for a war they did not initiate. South Korea has said it is reviewing the U.S. proposal and considering whether to join the operation. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Bahrain are pushing at the United Nations to pressure Iran into restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Although Washington currently downplays the escalation of the strait conflict, a U.S. source cited in the article suggested that "Operation Freedom" might be designed as a pretext to restart full-scale war—using so-called humanitarian missions to construct a narrative in which Iran initiates escalation first, justifying subsequent U.S. action.
Image source: Internet
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1864415718041610/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.