ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that Project Freedom, the US’s recent initiative to resume flow through the Strait of Hormuz, is “separate and distinct” from the US-Israeli war on Iran, explaining that it is a temporary defensive project with a limited scope.

“The ceasefire is not over; ultimately, this is a separate, distinct project. And we expected there would be some churn at the beginning, which happened. And we said we would defend and defend aggressively, and we absolutely have. Iran knows that,” Hegseth told a Pentagon briefing, adding that the US is not looking for a war with Iran over the vital waterway.

“Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope, and temporary in duration,” Hegseth said.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said neutral countries have asked the US to help move their ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, announcing that the US “will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted waterways,” under Project Freedom. 

Iran has shut the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway where roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil is shipped, as a means in its war against the US and Israel. In response, the US imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Hegseth said that two American ships, along with destroyers, have already successfully passed through the strait, showing that the lane is clear, with hundreds of other international ships set to follow.

Negotiations between Washington and Tehran have stalled since a ceasefire took hold in early April, with no clear timeline for when face-to-face talks might resume.

On Saturday, Trump said he does not believe Tehran’s latest peace proposal would be acceptable, leaving the possibility of renewed military action against Iran open.

Iran's foreign ministry said on Sunday that the US has responded to Tehran's proposal through Pakistani mediators, adding that the reply is currently under review.