The U.S. is edging closer to restarting major combat operations against Iran, senior officials said, with the final decision resting with U.S. President Donald Trump and Tehran’s new leadership.
The assessment came as the ceasefire was tested in the Strait of Hormuz at the start of Project Freedom, Fox News reported.
“We are closer to the resumption of major combat operations than we were 24 hours ago after Iran fired on U.S. vessels and targeted UAE today with missiles and drones and fast boats," senior officials said.
The U.S. military “stands ready to respond.” It is “rearmed and retooled,” the officials added. No orders have been received to restart the bombing campaign. There has been “no un-pause of the ceasefire.”
For now, the U.S. military is focused on defensive actions to protect ships in the Gulf.
The UAE said Monday that more than a dozen Iranian missiles and drones were launched, leaving three people injured, while an Iranian drone strike sparked a fire at an oil facility that wounded three Indian nationals.
