Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday defined Project Freedom, a day-old U.S. military operation to assist commercial vessels stuck in the Persian Gulf to get out via the Strait of Hormuz, as completely separate from hostilities with Iran that began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on the country on Feb. 28.  

“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 said at a press briefing. 

Hegseth said American forces would not need to enter Iranian waters or airspace for Project Freedom, adding: “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 said, calling Iran the “clear aggressor,” and accusing the Islamic Republic regime of “weaponizing a critical chokepoint for its own financial benefit.”

“Iran’s plan, a form of international extortion, is unacceptable,” Hegseth said. “That ends with Project Freedom.”

Hegseth said U.S. warships and aircraft assisting two commercial vessels to transit the strait on Monday showed “the lane is clear.” 

He said U.S. Central Command was actively communicating with hundreds of ships from around the world that “want to get out of the Iranian trap that they have been stuck inside.” 

“We’d prefer this to be a peaceful operation, but are locked and loaded to defend our people, our ships, our aircraft and this mission without gestation,” he said. “To Iran: Let innocent ships pass freely. These international waters belong to all nations, not to Iran to tax, toll for control.”