Hegseth Says US Will Maintain Hormuz Blockade, Plans Transfer Through “Project Freedom”

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has insisted that Iran is not in control of the Strait of Hormuz even though Tehran continues to wreak havoc on the global economy by taking advantage of its geography to disrupt shipping through the key waterway.During a press briefing at the Pentagon, Hegseth called Iran’s stronghold on the strait “a form of international extortion” that is “unacceptable,” touting US efforts to force it open under a new initiative dubbed “Project Freedom.”Under the plan, the US is providing commercial ships with information to allow them to transit the passage safely, while also continuing its blockade of Iranian ports.“Two US 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,” Hegseth said.“And right now, hundreds more ships from nations around the world are lining up to transit,” he continued.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted that Iran is not in control of the Strait of Hormuz during a press briefing at the Pentagon on May 5, 2026.Despite Hegseth’s claims, traffic in the strait is just a tiny fraction of what it used to be before the war broke out.Ahead of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran in February, about 130 ships crossed the passage daily, according to The New York Times. Besides, in peacetime, one-fifth of the world’s oil and one-fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas passed through the waterway. Iran’s effective closure of the Strait has sent oil prices soaring as uncertainty about the future of the conflict against the backdrop of a fragile truce remains.Hegseth maintained that the ceasefire is “not over” despite the new attacks the two countries exchanged on Monday. Trump had also refused to answer whether the ceasefire remained in effect and whether the US was planning new strikes against Tehran during an interview with Hugh Hewitt.“Ultimately, the president is going to make a decision whether anything were to escalate into a violation of a ceasefire,” Hegseth said at the briefing.“But certainly we would urge Iran to be prudent in the actions that they take to keep that underneath this threshold.”“Right now, the ceasefire certainly holds, but we’re going to be watching very, very closely,” Hegseth continued.Meanwhile, Iran rejected US claims of superiority over the Strait, with Iran’s state broadcaster claiming that Tehran’s control of the waterway has only “intensified,” undermining America’s “Project Freedom” and noting that commercial ships are seeking Iran’s approval to cross through it, according to The Times.Hegseth described the US effort to force the Strait open as “a direct gift from the United States to the world,” adding that America will soon expect allies to take it over.“As I’ve said before, the world needs this waterway a lot more than we do. We’re stabilising 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,” Hegseth said.Transit through the Strait was unrestricted prior to Trump’s decision to go to war against Iran.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the US will maintain its “ironclad” blockade of Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz during a press briefing at the Pentagon. He tells US allies and the rest of the world that “Project Freedom” to guide ships through the strait is a temporary mission and “at the appropriate time and soon, we will hand responsibility back to you.” (Source: Bloomberg)