US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that the ceasefire with Iran was not over, even as the US and Iran exchanged fire in the Gulf as they wrestled for control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Hegseth said the US had successfully secured a path through the critical waterway and that hundreds of commercial ships were lining up to pass through, as Washington seeks to break a chokehold Iran has asserted on the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began on February 28. “We know the Iranians are embarrassed by this fact. They said they control the strait. They do not,” Hegseth told a Pentagon news conference.
The US military says it sank six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones, after President Donald Trump sent the navy to escort stranded tankers through the Strait of Hormuz in a campaign he called “Project Freedom.” Taking to social media, Akshay posted a picture featuring his co-stars Vidya Balan and Raashii Khanna. The image was set against traditional cultural displays from Kerala, including performers representing Kathakali, Mohiniyattam and Theyyam, reflecting the local artistic heritage of the region where the film was shot.
In the photo, Akshay is seen dressed in a dark grey outfit paired with sunglasses, while Vidya Balan appears in a white oversized shirt and denim jeans. Raashii Khanna is seen in a black dress. The presence of classical performers in the backdrop adds a cultural context to the shoot location, which has often been referred to as “God’s Own Country.”
