US not looking for a fight with temporary operation to protect ships from Iran, Pentagon chief says

by Reuters May 05, 2026

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that a U.S. operation to protect commercial ships from Iran in the Strait of Hormuz is temporary and Washington is not looking for a fight.

"Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration, with one mission, protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression. American forces won't need to enter Iranian waters or airspace. It's not necessary. We're not looking for a fight." Hegseth said during a briefing.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth holds a briefing on the Iran war, with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine (not pictured), at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., May 5, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump launched the operation, called Project Freedom, on Monday as he sought to wrest control of the critical waterway from Iran, which effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. and Israel started the conflict on February 28.

A fragile truce in the Middle East was under strain on Tuesday after the U.S. and Iran exchanged fire in the Gulf as they wrestled for control of the Strait of Hormuz.