The fragile ceasefire in the Middle East was teetering on the brink of collapse on Tuesday following a series of attacks on the United Arab Emirates and exchanges of fire in the critical Strait of Hormuz shipping route. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth maintained that the truce was "not over," despite the latest drone and missile strikes in the UAE and confrontations in the strategically vital waterway. However, Tehran issued a stark warning, declaring "we are just getting started," amid growing fears that the United States is unable to resolve the conflict it initiated alongside Israel over two months ago.
Trump Downplays Iran's Actions
Former President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, dismissed Iran's attacks as "games" and insisted that the US has "total control" of the situation. "They are very proud ... but they should wave the white flag of surrender," he said. The escalating tensions come after Trump launched 'Project Freedom' on Monday, an initiative aimed at guiding "innocent bystander" ships through the Strait of Hormuz, despite Iran's claims of control over the waterway.
Iranian Response and International Reactions
Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who previously led Tehran through talks with Washington, accused the US of endangering shipping through the strait with what Tehran has dubbed "Project Deadlock." "We know full well that the continuation of the status quo is intolerable for America, while we have not even begun yet," Ghalibaf wrote on social media. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned Iran's recent attacks and joined calls for de-escalation, urging Tehran to engage "meaningfully" in talks to ensure the ceasefire endures.
US Military Posture and Analysis
In a briefing to reporters, Hegseth attempted to frame Monday's clashes in the Strait as natural "churn," while warning that Trump reserves the capability to reopen the wider conflict if needed. "The option is always there, and Iran knows that. And that's why their choices in Project Freedom are important," he said, casting the mission as a "gift" to the rest of the world while downplaying the US need for the waterway. Hegseth noted that the operation would be temporary and that other nations would soon have to "step up" and take responsibility for the Strait themselves, amid a widening rift with Nato allies over their perceived lack of support for Trump's war.
Gen Dan 'Razin' Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, reported that Iran has fired at commercial vessels nine times and seized two container ships since the ceasefire agreement came into force last month. More than 100 American aircraft remain in the air 24 hours a day to provide defensive overwatch, a fraction of the approximately 15,000 service personnel involved in operations in the region. "Commercial vessels will see, hear and frankly feel American combat power around them, in the sea, in the skies and on the radio," he said. Gen. Caine added that the operation would require "patience and engagement," after demonstrating on Monday that the US could enter the Strait of Hormuz and guide ships. He stated that the US military remains ready to resume major combat operations against Iran if ordered to do so.
Expert Opinions
Dr Martin Navias, senior visiting research fellow at the Centre for Defence Studies, King's College London, described Iran's attacks as "reckless" but noted that the country lacks the military capability to compel the United States to back down. "The Americans have upped the ante here, and there is the danger that even these limited actions will prompt an Iranian response, that will demand an American counter response. But ... the United States does not appear to have made the decision to force [the Strait of Hormuz] open yet," he said. "The United States has the force to force the strait open, but that will require a major escalation, and that escalation will not be limited to the Gulf. It will have to be part of a broader resumption of strikes on Iran. And it doesn't appear that the Trump administration has reached that point yet."
Nitya Labh, a fellow on the International Security Programme at London's Chatham House, described the US push to assist global shipping in the region as "extremely risky." "I think what's happening is quite escalatory, it suggests the US isn't willing to negotiate over the terms of reopening the Strait," she told the BBC. "The US has accepted that the only way to continue to move shipping is under the threat of force or strikes from Iran."
Economic Implications
Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs warned that Britain is the nation "most exposed" to jet fuel shortages caused by the Iran war, raising fears of more cancelled flights and ruined summer holidays. The UK is highly reliant on imports that come through the closed Strait of Hormuz and has "critically low levels" of supplies and poor refining tools, analysts at one of the world's largest investment banks said. Responding to Monday's attacks, the UAE restricted flights to a handful of approved routes until at least 11 May and activated emergency security protocols, two days after lifting all precautionary airspace measures and declaring its airspace clear.
