The United States will begin escorting stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday, President Donald Trump announced Sunday, calling the effort "Project Freedom" and warning that any interference would be dealt with "forcefully."
Trump gave few specifics in a social media post, but U.S. Central Command later said the operation would involve guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft and 15,000 service members. The Pentagon did not immediately answer questions about how those forces would be deployed.
Iran's effective closure of the strait began after the U.S. and Israel launched a war on Feb. 28. Hundreds of vessels and roughly 20,000 seafarers have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since. Crew members described to the Associated Press watching intercepted drones and missiles detonate over the water as their ships ran low on food, drinking water and other supplies. Many sailors come from India and other countries in South and Southeast Asia.
"They are victims of circumstance," Trump wrote, framing the escort mission as a humanitarian gesture on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern countries and Iran itself. He added that his representatives were in discussions with Tehran that could lead to something "very positive for all."
Iran rejected the announcement immediately. State-run IRNA called Trump's statement part of his "delirium." Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security commission of Iran's parliament, said on the platform X that any outside interference in the strait would constitute a ceasefire violation. Iran had separately said Sunday that it was reviewing the latest U.S. response to its own proposal to end the war, and made clear the talks do not involve nuclear negotiations. A fragile three-week ceasefire appeared to still be holding.
The announcement came on a day when two ships near the strait reported attacks. The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said a cargo ship was struck by multiple small craft, while another vessel was hit by what it described as "unknown projectiles." No injuries were reported in either incident. Those attacks were the latest in at least two dozen reported since the war began, underscoring the dangers facing the new U.S. operation.
Oil prices fell on the news, according to Bloomberg, though markets in Asia showed modest gains. The closure of the strait, a chokepoint for roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply, has rattled global markets since February.
