The warning was conveyed on Sunday and coincided with a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump later that day.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
The White House privately warned Iran ahead of launching its “Project Freedom” naval operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, according to an Axios report published Tuesday, as tensions continued in the region alongside reported Iranian attacks.
The warning was conveyed on Sunday and coincided with a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump later that day.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the United States “is communicating both overtly and quietly to the Iranians to allow this defensive operation to take place on behalf of the world.” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly referred Axios to Trump’s post and declined additional comment.
On Monday, the first day of the operation, Iran carried out multiple attacks targeting US Navy vessels transiting the strait, along with commercial ships in the area and sites in the UAE.
Caine said during a Tuesday press conference that the Iranian actions were “below the threshold of restarting major combat operations.”
“Right now, the ceasefire holds,” Hegseth said, adding that the United States anticipated “there would be some churn” at the outset of the Hormuz mission. He also said, “There are some actions the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] takes sometimes that are outside the bounds of what maybe Iranian negotiators would like. That’s their job to rein them in and create the conditions for a deal.”
US officials said the military remains prepared to resume combat operations quickly if ordered by Trump. Hegseth added, “We would urge Iran to be prudent in the actions they take.”
CENTCOM reported that two US-flagged ships passed through the strait on Monday, with none transiting on Tuesday. Hegseth said “hundreds more … are lining up,” though shipping companies have not broadly resumed traffic, citing concerns over the security situation.
Iranian officials signaled mixed messaging. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X that Iran had created a “new equation” following Monday’s actions.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said US-mediated talks, facilitated by Pakistan, “are making progress,” and urged Washington not to get “dragged back into quagmire by ill-wishers.”
Separately, the UAE’s Defense Ministry said Iran launched a new missile and drone attack against the country on Tuesday, with air defense systems responding.
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