Latest Dan Caine News & Updates

Washington, May 5 (IANS) The current US-Iran standoff in the Strait of Hormuz has left thousands of commercial vessels stranded, disrupting global trade and threatening energy supplies, with potential ripple effects for import-dependent economies like India.US officials said more than 22,500 mariners aboard over 1,550 commercial vessels are currently unable to transit the region due to Iranian attacks and threats to shipping.The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow but critical waterway between Iran and O…

Washington, May 5 (IANS) US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Dan Caine have outlined “Project Freedom” as a limited, defensive military mission aimed at restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions with Iran. Hegseth said the operation was ordered by President Donald Trump to “restart the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz under the umbrella of Project Freedom,” stressing that it is “separate and d…

Washington, May 5 (IANS) The United States has launched a military mission to break what it calls Iran’s blockade of commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, deploying warships and aircraft to escort vessels through one of the world’s most critical oil routes.US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth said the operation, dubbed “Project Freedom”, was ordered by President Donald Trump to “restart the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz.”He described the mission as “defensi…

Washington, May 1 (IANS) China’s growing military assertiveness and its alignment with Russia, Iran and North Korea emerged as a central theme during a high-stakes US Senate hearing on defence spending, with potential implications for India’s strategic calculus.Senate Armed Services Committee, Chairman Roger Wicker warned that the United States is in “the most dangerous security environment since World War II,” pointing to intensifying competition with Beijing.“We’re locked in a comp…

Washington, May 1 (IANS) A heated Senate hearing saw sharp clashes between US SEcretary of War Pete Hegseth and lawmakers, as divisions deepened over the Iran war, rising costs and a proposed $1.5 trillion defence budget.At the Senate Armed Services Committee, Democratic and some independent senators challenged the administration’s claims of success in Iran and questioned the scale of military spending.Ranking Member Jack Reed led the criticism, accusing the administration of entering an “un…

Washington, April 30 (IANS) A senior Pentagon official has said that the cost of the ongoing US war against Iran is estimated to be 25 billion US dollars so far, as the conflict has dragged on for two months. “Approximately, on this day, we’re spending about 25 billion dollars on Operation Epic Fury,” acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst III told the House Armed Services Committee, as he testified alongside Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine.Hur…

Washington, April 30 (IANS) Disruptions from the US war with Iran are pushing up fuel prices and straining global energy supplies, lawmakers warned, citing mounting pressure on economies worldwide.At a congressional hearing on Wednesday (local time), lawmakers pointed to instability around the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for global oil flows, as a major source of concern.Ranking member Adam Smith said the economic fallout is already visible. “The impact on the economy certainly here…

Washington, April 24 (IANS) The US on Friday warned that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains under heightened risk, even as limited transit continues amid escalating tensions with Iran. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, said vessels were still moving through the critical waterway but under conditions of increased danger due to Iranian actions.”Transit is occurring… much more limited than anybody would like to see and with more risk than people would like to see,” he said at a Pentagon …

Washington, April 24 (IANS) The United States on Friday said its expanding naval blockade of Iran was tightening “by the hour”, as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth asserted that Tehran faced a stark choice between a nuclear deal and mounting economic collapse under sustained American pressure.“Operation Epic Fury has delivered decisive military results in just weeks,” Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon, contrasting it with “endless wars of the past” that “dragged on for years and…

Washington, April 16 (IANS) The United States on Thursday warned Iran to “choose wisely” as it enforced a sweeping naval blockade, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth saying American forces remain “locked and loaded” to escalate military action if needed. Addressing a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth was joined by Air Force General Dan Caine, the US military’s top uniformed officer as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Admiral Bradley Cooper, who oversees American military operations…