American officials indicated Monday that the United States is moving nearer to resuming large-scale military action against Iran, though any final move depends on decisions by President Donald Trump and Iran’s leadership.

The warning came as the fragile ceasefire faced strain in the Strait of Hormuz with the launch of Project Freedom.

“We are closer to the resumption of major combat operations than we were 24 hours ago after Iran fired on US vessels and targeted UAE today with missiles and drones and fast boats,” senior officials told Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin.

Officials emphasized that the direction of the conflict will ultimately hinge on choices made by President Donald Trump and Iranian authorities, noting that no directive has yet been issued to formally end the ceasefire.

The U.S. military, they said, remains fully prepared for potential escalation. It is “rearmed and retooled,” the officials added.

At present, there has been no formal command to restart offensive strikes, and the ceasefire technically remains in place. There has been “no un-pause of the ceasefire.”

In the meantime, American forces are concentrating on defensive operations aimed at safeguarding maritime traffic in the Gulf.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates reported that Iran launched more than a dozen missiles and drones on Monday, resulting in three injuries, while a drone strike ignited a fire at an oil installation, injuring three Indian nationals.

The British military said two cargo ships caught fire near the UAE, while U.S. officials confirmed that six Iranian vessels targeting civilian shipping were destroyed.

“The commanders on scene have all the authorities they need to protect themselves and commercial shipping,” according to one well-placed U.S. defense official.

The commander can strike “if US forces see missile launchers moving or identity missiles being put on the rails or identify targets of opportunity that threaten commercial shipping.”

“We preserve the right to eliminate those threats. We don’t have to wait. We can anticipate and preempt. There is a level of maneuverability.”

“We can hit a known threat. We don’t have to wait until Iran fires first.”

One source compared the current defensive posture to a zone defense, as opposed to escorting each vessel individually, which would resemble a man-to-man approach.

President Donald Trump initiated Project Freedom on Monday to assist ships that have been delayed for weeks along the strategic waterway.

According to the source, individually escorting vessels through the strait is “inefficient,” whereas a broader defensive system utilizing coordinated air and naval assets along with surveillance “creates a layered defense that takes advantage of numbers and capability.”