Hegseth says the US-Iran ceasefire is 'not over' despite attacks in Strait of Hormuz
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says the US-Iran ceasefire "is not over", despite attacks in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday He also claims there is a "red, white and blue dome" over the waterway - with the transit of two US commercial ships on Monday proving it is "clear" - his comments at a glance.
What Hegseth actually meant
- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the ceasefire with Iran is “not over” and still technically in effect.
- Even though there have been attacks and clashes in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. says these are below the level that would restart full-scale war.
What’s happening in the Strait of Hormuz
- Iran has:
- Fired on commercial ships
- Attacked U.S. forces multiple times
- Seized vessels in some cases
- The U.S. response:
- Launched a mission called “Project Freedom” to protect shipping
- Destroyed Iranian boats, drones, and missiles
- Escorting ships through the strait
Carrie Davies
Reporting from Dubai
More missile warnings were heard again this evening in the United Arab Emirates.
As the Sun set, an alert from the Ministry of Defence said the "sounds heard across the country are the result of ongoing engaging operations of missiles and UAVs" (unmanned aerial vehicles), urging the public to follow safety and security instructions.
It’s a sign that the UAE was again preparing itself to defend from a fresh round of attacks from Iran.
Yesterday the ministry said that air defence systems engaged 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four UAVs from Iran. Last night the Ministry of Education said that nurseries, public and private schools across the country should switch to remote learning from today until Friday "to ensure their safety".
Reuters news agency reported earlier that the UAE will restrict flights to a handful of approved routes until 11 May - only yesterday the CEO of Dubai’s main airport had said they planned to ramp up operations after airspace had been fully clear.
It’s a sign of how quickly plans can change.
By Jake Horton, BBC Verify, and Ghoncheh Habibiazad, BBC Persian
At the US Department of Defense briefing earlier, a journalist raised "reports of [Iranian] kamikaze dolphins that we've heard about" - here's a look back at what else we heard.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth responded: "I can't confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins. But I can confirm they [Iran] don't."
The Wall Street Journal reported last week, external - citing Iranian officials - that "Tehran could use previously unused weapons to attack US warships, from submarines to mine-carrying dolphins".
These so-called "kamikaze dolphins" have since been discussed on CNN and Fox News in the US. Some Iranian outlets have called the claims “strange”.
There has been no official confirmation of the use of dolphins by the Iranian military. But, the claim has been satirised by some of the Iranian government’s overseas offices.
Its mission in the Indian city of Hyderabad posted, external , external an AI-generated picture on X of dolphin with a canister labelled “explosive” strapped to its side. "They've finally spilled the beans, it's all out now,” the post said.
The US military does have a Marine Mammal Programme that trains dolphins to detect and recover things of interest such as undersea mines. It has also trained sea lions to locate "suspicious items" under water.
Why was Hegseth asked about 'mine-carrying' Iranian dolphins?
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