US-Iran Ceasefire Holds Despite Hormuz Tensions
Al Jazeera Staff
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on May 5 said the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran remains in effect despite recent military clashes around the Strait of Hormuz, though shipping through the strategic waterway remains largely stalled as Iran asserts control. Hegseth stressed that Operation Project Freedom is separate from the U.S.-Israeli offensive, and Washington may tolerate some Iranian attacks while reopening the strait. Tehran, meanwhile, is consolidating its “new equation” at Hormuz, claiming it still controls the waterway.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on May 5 said the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran remains in effect despite heightened military activity around the Strait of Hormuz. Hegseth stated that President Donald Trump will decide when to end the truce, signaling Washington may tolerate some Iranian attacks while reopening Hormuz before resuming hostilities.
The Pentagon chief stressed the operation to reopen the strategic waterway, dubbed “Project Freedom,” is not part of the U.S.-Israeli offensive against Iran code-named “Epic Fury.” “The ceasefire is not over. This is a separate and independent project, and we anticipated some initial turbulence, which has occurred,” Hegseth said.
May 4 saw the highest level of hostility in the conflict since the ceasefire took effect on April 8. Iran claimed it fired on U.S. Navy vessels; the U.S. said it destroyed seven small Iranian military boats; and Tehran resumed drone and missile strikes against the United Arab Emirates. A South Korean ship near Hormuz was also hit in an attack suspected to be carried out by Iran.
Regarding casualties, three people were wounded in an Iranian attack on the Fujairah Oil Industrial Zone in the UAE, and Tehran said a U.S. attack on a passenger boat in the Persian Gulf killed five civilians. More than 24 hours after the U.S. began breaking Iran's blockade at Hormuz, vessel tracking data showed traffic through the strait remained largely stalled.
Iran asserts ‘new equation’
Hegseth on May 5 declared the U.S. had secured the waterway and was in contact with ships, companies, and insurers to encourage passage. “We have established a mighty dome of red, white, and blue over the strait,” the U.S. defense secretary said, adding that U.S. destroyers, backed by hundreds of fighter jets, helicopters, drones, and surveillance aircraft, provide 24/7 protection for peaceful commercial vessels.
However, Hegseth said that while the U.S. protects ships transiting the strait, Iranian vessels will not be allowed through, emphasizing that Washington’s naval blockade of Iran’s ports continues. U.S. officials did not share details on how many ships the U.S. would escort or whether vessels would agree to transit while the risk of attack remains high.
Tehran has dismissed the U.S. operation, insisting it still controls the waterway. Before the war, about 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is now asserting sovereignty over the strait, which it successfully blockaded immediately after the U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28. Most of the international community stresses the need to maintain free trade through Hormuz.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on May 5 said Tehran is consolidating its “new equation” at Hormuz. “The security of shipping and energy transit has been threatened by the U.S. and its allies through the violation of the ceasefire and the imposition of a blockade. Of course, their evil plot will weaken,” Ghalibaf wrote on X, adding: “We know clearly that maintaining the status quo is unbearable for the U.S., while we haven’t even started yet.”
Oil prices surge
Oil prices have surged since the war began. In the U.S., higher gasoline costs are fueling inflation, creating a political burden for Trump’s Republican Party ahead of the November midterm elections. The average U.S. gasoline price rose to $4.48 per gallon on May 5, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA); before the war, it was below $3 per gallon. Global oil prices edged lower on May 5 after a sharp rise the previous day.
According to U.S. officials, Iran’s blockade at Hormuz has left 1,550 ships stranded. Hegseth said the U.S. secured passage for two U.S.-flagged commercial vessels alongside naval destroyers on May 4. “We know Iran is embarrassed that our blockade is maintained and we can get ships through, and we will help the world get ships through,” Hegseth said. He added that the U.S. operation at Hormuz is only “temporary” and will later be handed over to other countries, without specifying which. So far, U.S. allies have declined calls to join military efforts to reopen the waterway.
