Just three hours into his new job, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper met with reporters at the Pentagon to discuss Iran, China and the proposed defense budget.

A top priority: Operation Sentinel, the U.S. Central Command effort to promote maritime stability, ensure safe passage, and de-escalate tensions in international waters throughout the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Oman.

The point of Operation Sentinel is to “de-escalate by deterring an escalation — any unnecessary provocation that leads to an unnecessary conflict,” Esper said. “[We’re] trying to de-escalate and at the same time message [Iran] very clearly, that without precondition, any time, any place, we’re willing to meet with them to talk about how we get back on into a negotiation.”

The secretary said that for now, the United States would work to make sure U.S.-flagged ships have safe passage over the waterways in the Middle East.

“To the degree that circumstances warrant that, if we think a U.S. ship may be under some type of threat — being stopped or being seized — we would want to make sure we have the capacity to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Esper said.

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