Watch Live: Hegseth, Caine give Iran war update after U.S. and Iran trade fire in Strait of Hormuz

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine are holding a news conference Tuesday morning as the ceasefire in the Iran war faces serious tests. U.S. Navy destroyers on Monday fended off a sustained barrage of Iranian missiles, attack drones and small boats as they helped two commercial vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz.

“Iran cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their goods from an international waterway,” Hegseth said at the news conference.

Hegseth noted that Project Freedom, the U.S. guiding of commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, is “separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury.” He called the operation a “temporary solution” for the U.S., saying “the world needs this waterway more than we do.” 

Caine said the operation’s forces are comprised of 15,000 American service members. The mission includes guided missile destroyers and other warships that are detecting and defeating Iranian threats, Caine said. Among the fleet are 100 attack aircraft and other unmanned aircraft, which Caine said is being synchronized by the 82nd Airborne Division.

Iran’s foreign minister said Monday’s violence showed “there’s no military solution” to the war, warning that the U.S. and its regional partners should be “wary of being dragged back into quagmire by ill-wishers.”

Two U.S. Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, dodging a barrage of Iranian drones and missiles, defense officials told CBS News. U.S. Central Command said two U.S.-flagged commercial vessels also sailed through the strait as part of “Project Freedom,” an initiative by President Trump to move ships through the waterway.

U.S. Central Command said Monday the U.S. destroyed six Iranian boats that had attempted to interfere with commercial vessels the Navy was guiding through the strait, and Mr. Trump later said it was seven ships. 

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency rejected the assertion, saying none of its so-called “fast boats” were destroyed Monday.

Mr. Trump told Fox News on Monday that Iran will be “blown off the face of the Earth” if the country interferes in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Fox News reporter Trey Yingst. 

Iran, meanwhile, has warned that U.S. forces will be attacked if they enter the strait. Iran has sought to control the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that normally carries around 20% of the world’s oil and has been largely closed since the war began in late February.

Iran also fired at targets in the United Arab Emirates and at a tanker owned by the Abu Dhabi state energy company on Monday, the U.S.-allied state said.

The back-and-forth could pose a test to the U.S. and Iran’s fragile ceasefire, which Mr. Trump extended indefinitely last month while the two sides negotiate a longer-term deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that talks between the two countries are “making progress.” But he warned the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates “should be wary of being dragged back into quagmire by ill-wishers.”

Mr. Trump, for his part, said over the weekend that Iran’s latest peace proposal likely wouldn’t be acceptable because “they have not yet paid a big enough price.” 

How to watch the Pentagon’s Iran war update

• What: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine hold a news conference
• Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2026
• Time: 8 a.m. ET
• Location: Washington, D.C.
• Online stream: Live on CBS News 24/7