President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States would begin guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday, in a move dubbed “Project Freedom,” as the vital waterway remains choked by the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Trump gave few details of the plan to aid ships and their crews that have been “locked up” in the waterway and are running low on food and other supplies, but said: “We have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business.”
Hundreds of ships and as many as 20,000 seafarers have been unable to transit the strait during the conflict, according to the International Maritime Organization.
Trump warned that if Iran tries to disrupt the process, the American military will use force, while U.S. Central Command said it would support the effort with 15,000 military personnel, more than 100 land and sea-based aircraft, along with warships and drones.
The announcement came as tensions in the strait escalated further, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that a tanker had been hit by unknown projectiles in the strait, with the incident occurring 78 nautical miles north of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, though all crew were reported safe.
Iran has been blocking nearly all shipping from the Gulf apart from its own for more than two months, sending energy prices soaring, and has choked off approximately 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies, driving up U.S. gasoline prices.
According to reports by Iranian media gathered by Truthlive news International, Tehran has put forward a 14-point proposal that includes withdrawing U.S. forces from nearby areas, lifting the blockade, releasing frozen assets, paying compensation, lifting sanctions, ending the war on all fronts including Lebanon, and creating a new control mechanism for the strait.
Trump separately noted that his representatives have been holding what he described as very positive discussions with Iranian leaders about formally ending hostilities
