Trump says the US will help stranded vessels leave the Strait of Hormuz, but Iran has warned against foreign military intervention in the waterway.
President Donald Trump says the United States will begin guiding stranded foreign ships out of the Strait of Hormuz under a new effort he calls “Project Freedom,” a move that could test Iran’s control of one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
The announcement comes as ships remain trapped in the Gulf during a wider US-Iran confrontation that has disrupted navigation, pushed up oil prices and raised fears that a rescue or escort mission could turn into a military clash. The central question remains unresolved: how the US Navy would move ships through the strait if Iran resists.
Trump said on Truth Social that countries whose vessels are stuck in the waterway had asked Washington for help, describing them as neutral parties caught in a conflict they did not start. “We will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” he wrote.
US Central Command said military support for the effort could include guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, unmanned platforms and about 15,000 service members. CENTCOM also linked the operation to a broader State Department effort, the Maritime Freedom Construct, intended to improve coordination and information-sharing among international partners.
Iran has signaled that it will not accept an unapproved US-led operation in the strait. Ali Abdollahi, an Iranian official cited by Reuters in the Fox News report, said safe passage must be coordinated with Iran’s armed forces and warned that foreign military forces, “especially the aggressive U.S. Army,” would be attacked if they tried to enter the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran has said vessels transiting the strait must pay a toll and follow routes approved by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iranian officials have described US intervention as a violation of the ceasefire, while Washington has insisted that Tehran must lift what Trump has called its blockade before a broader settlement can take hold.
The risks were underscored Monday, the first day of the announced campaign, when Iran said its navy had hit a US warship with missiles near Jask. The United States denied the Iranian claim. The reported incident, even with the denial, added to concerns that any close encounter at sea could escalate quickly.
The Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, carries roughly a fifth of global oil and gas exports. Navigation has been disrupted since Tehran took control of the waterway days after US and Israeli attacks on February 28, according to the source reporting. A US naval blockade of Iranian ports has further intensified the standoff.
The humanitarian stakes are also significant. The International Maritime Organization estimates that up to 20,000 seafarers are stranded aboard roughly 2,000 vessels near the strait, including tankers, cargo ships, bulk carriers and cruise liners. The IMO has recorded at least 19 attacks on vessels since the conflict began, with 10 seafarers killed and eight injured, and has warned that many crews are running low on food, fuel and water.
Diplomatic efforts have continued through Pakistan, but without a broader agreement. Tehran and Washington have exchanged proposals since an April 8 ceasefire, while Iran has sought a permanent end to hostilities and Trump has maintained that Iran’s nuclear programme remains a “red line.” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday that 22 crew members from the seized Iranian container ship MV Touska had been evacuated to Pakistan and that the ship would be returned to its owners after repairs, calling the move a confidence-building measure coordinated with both US and Iranian support.
Military analysts quoted in the source reporting warned that escorting vessels is different from defending them under fire. Retired US Marine Corps special operations specialist Jonathan Hackett said the US objective appears to have narrowed toward reopening the strait, but questioned whether available naval resources could protect shipping at the scale required. Harlan Ullman, a former US naval officer, said the operation could help if Iran permits transit, but could become dangerous if the waterway is mined or if Iranian forces resist.
US forces have begun anti-mine operations in the strait, though clearing threats could take weeks or months. For now, the success of Project Freedom depends less on its name than on whether Iran allows ships to move, insurers and shipping companies accept the risk, and Washington and Tehran can keep a rescue operation from becoming the next front in the conflict.
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