The US warned Iran of a new operation in the Strait of Hormuz before it began
A senior official in Donald Trump’s administration privately informed Iran on Sunday of preparations for a US operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz and urged it to refrain from interference. This was reported by an American official and a source familiar with the situation, according to Axios.
The warning was part of an attempt to reduce the risk of escalation. However, Iran subsequently carried out a series of attacks on US Navy ships, commercial vessels and targets in the United Arab Emirates.
On Tuesday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hagseth and General Dan Kane, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that Iran’s attacks had not led to a resumption of full-scale hostilities and that the ceasefire remained in force.
Hegset noted that the United States is maintaining both public and private communication with Iran, urging it to allow this defensive operation to proceed. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly declined to comment further and referred to Donald Trump’s post on Truth Social.
On the first day of the operation, on Monday, Iran carried out several attacks on US Navy ships passing through the strait, as well as on other vessels in the region and targets in the United Arab Emirates.
According to Kane, these attacks did not exceed a level that would signify a resumption of large-scale hostilities. Hegset added that the United States had anticipated some tension at the start of the operation.
He also noted that certain actions by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may go beyond the position of Iranian negotiators, and responsibility for this lies with the Iranian side.
According to Hegset and Kane, the US military is ready to resume hostilities swiftly should the President so decide.
No significant increase in shipping volumes through the strait was recorded in the first 24 hours of the operation. US Central Command reported that two US-flagged vessels passed through the strait on Monday, whilst there were no such passages on Tuesday.
Hegset stated that hundreds of other vessels are awaiting the opportunity to pass through, but shipping companies are not yet showing confidence in the security guarantees.
No new attacks by Iran were recorded on Tuesday. The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that the country had created a new situation following Monday’s strikes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reported progress in negotiations with the US, mediated by Pakistan, and urged Washington not to get drawn into further escalation.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defence reported a new missile and drone attack by Iran on Tuesday, which was repelled by air defence systems.
