US Quietly Alerted Iran Before Strait Of Hormuz Mission, Told Tehran Not To 'Interfere'

The White House privately warned Iran ahead of its latest military operation to secure shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. A senior member of Donald Trump’s administration conveyed a message to Tehran on Sunday, informing it of the impending operation- dubbed “Project Freedom”- and urging it not to interfere, Axios reported citing people in the know. The move appeared aimed at reducing the risk of escalation in the already volatile region.

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Despite the warning, Iranian forces carried out a series of attacks on US Navy vessels, commercial ships and targets in the United Arab Emirates shortly after the operation began, the report said.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine downplayed the strikes, maintaining that the fragile ceasefire between the two sides remains intact. Caine described the attacks as “below the threshold” that would trigger a return to full-scale conflict. Hegseth acknowledged that some level of friction was anticipated.

“We expected there would be some churn at the beginning of the operation,” he said, adding that the US continues to communicate with Iran “both overtly and quietly” to ensure the mission proceeds.

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The US initiative aims to escort and “guide” commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global chokepoint that has seen severe disruptions in recent weeks. However, early signs suggest limited success as US Central Command reported that only two American-flagged ships transited the strait on Monday, with none on Tuesday.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf claimed Tehran’s response had created a “new equation” in the region, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations are progressing and urged Washington to avoid being “dragged back into a quagmire.”