They Aren’t “Pilgrims:” Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says there is evidence that members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard move from Iran to Iraq, but there is no evidence of direct involvement by the Iranian government. Speaking at a Pentagon press briefing on March 14, Rumsfeld said he would not “make assumptions” about the Iranian government’s involvement, but said that the Revolutionary Guard in Iraq “are not freelancing and they’re not pilgrims.”
The U.S. military conducted strikes on Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz on May 7, as the conflict with Iran flared up again—though officials say the ceasefire remains in effect.