Axios: Trump administration warned Tehran before Hormuz escort operation

A senior Trump administration official privately warned Iran on Sunday, May 3, about an impending US operation to “guide” ships through the Strait of Hormuz, urging Tehran not to interfere, according to a US official and a source familiar with the matter, quoted by Axios. The message, delivered ahead of the launch of what has been referred to as “Project Freedom,” suggests the White House was seeking to reduce the risk of escalation.

Despite the warning, Iran carried out a series of attacks targeting US Navy vessels transiting the strait, as well as commercial ships in the region and sites in the United Arab Emirates. The warning reportedly coincided with a Truth Social post published by President Donald Trump later that same day.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday, May 5, that Washington “is communicating both overtly and quietly to the Iranians to allow this defensive operation to take place on behalf of the world.” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly declined to provide additional comment, referring Axios to Trump’s earlier post.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine downplayed the significance of the Iranian attacks, maintaining that the ceasefire remains in effect. Caine described the strikes as “below the threshold of restarting major combat operations.”

“Right now, the ceasefire holds,” Hegseth said, adding that the US had anticipated “there would be some churn” at the outset of the Hormuz operation. He also suggested that some actions by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may not align with diplomatic efforts. “There are some actions the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] takes sometimes that are outside the bounds of what maybe Iranian negotiators would like. That's their job to rein them in and create the conditions for a deal,” he said.

Both Hegseth and Caine stressed that US forces remain prepared to quickly resume full-scale military operations if ordered by Trump. Some US and Israeli officials believe the president could decide to restart the war later this week if diplomatic efforts stall.

In the first 24 hours of the US operation, there was little evidence of increased maritime traffic through the strait. US Central Command reported that two US-flagged vessels transited the waterway on Monday, while none did so on Tuesday. Hegseth said “hundreds more ... are lining up,” but shipping companies appear to remain cautious and unconvinced that safe passage has been fully restored.

“We would urge Iran to be prudent in the actions they take,” Hegseth said.

By Tamilla Hasanova