US War Secretary Pete Hegseth, flanked by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, has outlined the objectives of the recently launched Project Freedom.

“To be clear, this operation is separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury. Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration, with one mission: protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression,” Hegseth says.

The secretary adds that American forces will not need to enter Iranian waters or airspace.

“We’re not looking for a fight, but Iran also cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their goods from an international waterway,” he says.