Hegseth’s Claim: We Are Not Seeking War With Iran

According to SAEDNEWS, Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, in his latest remarks referring to developments in the Strait of Hormuz, spoke of the continuation of Washington’s military-security approach under the “Freedom Project” and claimed: “The Pentagon is fully prepared to act against Iran, and we hope it does not come to that.”

Citing Fararu, Hegseth stated in a press conference at the Pentagon: “The goal of the United States is to protect shipping from Iranian aggression. The United States will not need to enter Iran’s airspace or waters as part of reopening the Strait of Hormuz.”

He also added regarding the objectives of the operation: “We are not seeking war. They said they control the strait, but they do not.”

The U.S. Secretary of Defense had previously claimed that the country’s military aims to “break Iran’s unlawful dominance” over the Strait of Hormuz in this operation.

Continuing the meeting, Hegseth emphasized the continuation of U.S. military actions and claimed: “Our naval blockade against Iran remains in place, and we can still pass ships through the Strait of Hormuz.”

At the same time, referring to the diplomatic path, he added: “We hope Iran reaches an agreement.”

Regarding the tensions, he stated: “The ceasefire with Iran has not yet ended,” and continued: “The ceasefire with Iran is currently in place, and we will closely monitor the situation.”

In another part of his remarks, Hegseth claimed: “We hope Iran chooses an agreement under which it abandons its nuclear ambitions.”

He also reiterated U.S. military readiness, stating: “The Pentagon is fully prepared to act against Iran, and we hope it does not come to that.”

Referring to the role of the U.S. president, he added: “Trump will decide whether any development constitutes a violation of the ceasefire.”

Separating the operations, the U.S. Secretary of Defense said: “The Freedom Project is separate from military operations against Iran, and we expected some initial disruptions,” and emphasized: “No, the ceasefire is not over. Ultimately, this is a separate and distinct project. We expected some initial disagreements, which occurred.”

In another part of his remarks, he noted that the U.S. mission in the Middle East is temporary. He also stated that the world should no longer rely on the United States and that countries should take responsibility for themselves.