Iran warned against foreign military moves in the Strait of Hormuz after Trump announced a U.S. effort to guide stranded ships through the blocked waterway.
Iran warned that it would confront foreign armed forces approaching the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump announced a U.S. effort to help guide stranded ships through the blocked waterway, sharpening tensions around one of the world’s most important energy routes.
The dispute matters far beyond the ships caught in the Gulf. The strait, which Iran has largely blocked since U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, is a passage for about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. Brent crude has remained above $100 a barrel, according to the BBC, while a New York Times source summary said oil prices fell and S&P 500 futures edged higher Sunday as investors weighed continued uncertainty over the war in Iran.
Trump said countries “from all over the World” had asked the United States to help free ships he described as neutral vessels trapped in restricted waters. In a Truth Social post, he said the U.S. would “guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways,” framing the effort, called “Project Freedom,” as humanitarian because crews were running low on food and other essentials.
Iran rejected the premise that Washington could move through the strait on its own terms. Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, described by the BBC as the head of Iran’s central command, said Iran would attack “any foreign armed force” that tried to approach or enter the Strait, particularly the U.S. military. He said safe passage must be coordinated with Iranian armed forces “under all circumstances.”
U.S. Central Command later said guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, unmanned platforms and 15,000 service members would support the operation. The statement did not say precisely how that equipment and personnel would help the trapped vessels, leaving unclear whether the U.S. role would amount to advice, navigation support or military escort.
That distinction could determine how dangerous the operation becomes. The BBC reported that if the U.S. effort is limited to information and guidance, it may do little for crews facing Iranian threats. A military escort, by contrast, could put American forces and Iran back into direct confrontation despite a ceasefire that is supposed to create room for talks.
The scale of the disruption is significant. The International Maritime Organisation, a United Nations shipping agency, estimated that about 20,000 sailors and 2,000 ships have been trapped in the Gulf since the start of the war with Iran. Concerns have grown over dwindling supplies and the physical and mental strain on crews.
There were also signs of continuing danger in the waterway. Iran’s military said it had prevented American and Israeli destroyers from entering the strait. U.S. Central Command denied an Iranian claim that a U.S. warship had been hit by two missiles. Separately, the United Arab Emirates said a tanker affiliated with Adnoc, its state-owned oil company, was targeted by two drones while transiting the strait; its foreign ministry said no one was injured. It was not clear whether that tanker’s movement was connected to the U.S. operation.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre warned vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz that they face “critical” security threats tied to regional military activity and possible mines or other dangers along intended routes.
For markets, the immediate question is whether ships can move without a wider military clash. Trump’s announcement did not produce an immediate oil-price reaction, the BBC reported, but prices briefly spiked after Iran claimed a U.S. warship had been hit and Washington denied it. The next test is whether “Project Freedom” results in actual departures from the Gulf — and whether Iran allows them to pass.
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