Gen Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Tuesday issued a sharp warning to Iran, accusing it of “weaponising” global supply chains by disrupting maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking alongside US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Caine said Iran’s actions over the past seven weeks, particularly targeting commercial shipping, were aimed at choking one of the world’s most critical trade routes.
“By obstructing a vital transit route for nearly one-fifth of global oil consumption, Iran is attempting to hold the global economy hostage,” he said, blaming the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for undermining international navigation norms.
According to Caine, more than 1,550 commercial vessels carrying around 22,500 mariners remain stranded in the Persian Gulf due to repeated attacks and threats in the region.
He said the US-led mission, dubbed Project Freedom, aims to restore safe passage and ensure freedom of navigation. The operation includes a heavily fortified security corridor in the southern Strait, backed by American land, sea, and air assets.
Caine detailed that US naval forces, including guided missile destroyers, are actively intercepting threats such as fast boats and attack drones. In the air, over 100 aircraft, manned and unmanned, are providing round-the-clock surveillance and defence, supported by more than 15,000 American personnel.
“Commercial vessels transiting the area will see and feel US combat power,” he said, adding that two US-flagged merchant ships have already passed through under protection, with more expected.
He stressed that US Central Command continues to monitor threats across the wider Gulf and warned that Washington remains prepared to escalate if necessary.
“Current restraint should not be mistaken for lack of resolve,” Caine said, urging other nations with stakes in the waterway to support the mission.
Echoing the warning, Pete Hegseth described Project Freedom as a temporary but “locked and loaded” operation aimed at ending Iranian interference in global shipping.
