Hegseth says US-Iran ceasefire remains in effect despite Iran attacking American forces more than 10 times and firing on commercial vessels at least nine times since the agreement was reached on 8 April. Speaking at a Pentagon news conference Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iranian actions remained “below the threshold” of restarting major combat operations. “No, the ceasefire is not over,” he said.

What Hegseth Says US-Iran Ceasefire Means Now

Hegseth says US-Iran ceasefire remains intact despite what General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described in operational detail. Iran has fired at commercial vessels nine times since the truce began. Seized two container ships. Attacked US forces more than 10 times. On Sunday alone, Iranian missiles, drones, and small boats targeted American positions in the strait. US helicopters defended successfully.

Hegseth characterized Iranian fast boat activity as “harassment” that did not meet the threshold for returning to full-scale combat. He urged Iran to be “prudent” in keeping actions beneath that boundary. “Right now, the ceasefire holds,” he said.

Caine emphasized that 22,500 mariners on 1,550 commercial vessels remain trapped in the Gulf. Iran is “weaponising the global supply chain” and attempting to “hold the entire global economy hostage,” he said. The US has established what Hegseth called a “red, white and blue dome” of surveillance over the Strait of Hormuz.

The Separate-and-Distinct Doctrine Hegseth Says US-Iran Ceasefire Allows

Hegseth says US-Iran ceasefire remains in effect partly because the Pentagon has constructed a legal and political framework that separates different military activities. Project Freedom—the mission to guide commercial vessels through the strait—is “separate and distinct” from the naval blockade against Iranian ports and from the wider conflict with Iran.

The distinction allows the administration to continue military operations while maintaining the ceasefire’s diplomatic framework. Two US-flagged commercial vessels successfully transited the strait under American coordination. Six Iranian ships were turned around by the blockade.

Before the war, roughly 135 ships passed through the strait on a normal day, according to Cormac McGarry, director of maritime security at consultancy Control Risks, speaking to BBC 5 Live Breakfast. The two successful transits represent a fraction of normal commercial traffic.

Regional Response as Hegseth Says US-Iran Ceasefire Holds

The UAE said it intercepted 15 Iranian missiles and four drones on Monday. An oil port was damaged. South Korea’s foreign ministry confirmed it is “reviewing” President Donald Trump’s proposal to join the strait mission following a suspected strike on a South Korean cargo vessel.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country mediates between Washington and Tehran, condemned the attacks and said it was “absolutely essential that the ceasefire be upheld and respected.” Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party, told the BBC that Islamabad “is currently still exchanging messages and trying to create confidence-building opportunities” but that incidents like Monday’s attacks “complicate the process.”

The Iranian parliamentary speaker warned the US that “we are just getting started.” Tehran’s attacks have drawn no distinction between the ceasefire, the blockade, and Project Freedom.

What Comes Next

The Pentagon faces competing pressures as Hegseth says US-Iran ceasefire holds. Polling has shown the war remains unpopular domestically. Some Republican lawmakers have expressed concerns about an open-ended conflict. Acknowledging the ceasefire’s collapse would potentially require returning to major combat operations.

The seafarers’ union Nautilus International said Trump’s comments “offer no comfort at all” to its members. The gap between the Pentagon briefing and conditions in the strait remains substantial.