US' Hegseth hopes more countries will join Project Freedom

Published May 5, 2026 Updated May 5, 2026 05:42pm

Asked if South Korea would join Project Freedom, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth replies, “We hope so”.

“We hope South Korea would step up, just like we hope Japan … Australia … Europe steps up, but we’re not waiting for them to do so; we’re looking to set the conditions to hand to them,” he tells reporters.

He adds that US Central Command is in contact with a South Korean vessel, which caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday.

Opinion

Editorial

Energy shock
Updated 05 May, 2026

Energy shock

The longer the crisis persists, the more profound its consequences will be.
Unchecked HIV
05 May, 2026

Unchecked HIV

PAKISTAN’S HIV surge is no longer a slow-burning public health concern. It is now a system failure unfolding in...
PSL thrills
05 May, 2026

PSL thrills

BY the end of it all, in front of fans who had been absent for almost the entire 11th season of the Pakistan Super...
Interlinked crises
Updated 04 May, 2026

Interlinked crises

The situation vis-à-vis the US-Israeli war on Iran remains tense, with hostilities likely to resume if the diplomatic process fails.
Climate readiness
04 May, 2026

Climate readiness

AS policymakers gather for the Breathe Pakistan conference this week, the urgency is hard to miss. Each year, such...
Kalash preservation
04 May, 2026

Kalash preservation

FOR centuries, the Kalash people have maintained a culture, way of life, language and belief system that is uniquely...