President Donald Trump announced that the United States will begin escorting foreign vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning Middle East time. The operation is called "Project Freedom."
According to the White House chief, "countries all over the world" have asked the US to "help free their ships that are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz." "We assured these countries that we can safely get their ships out of the closed waterways," the US president wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"These are ships from regions of the world that have nothing to do with the current events in the Middle East. The movement of ships is solely aimed at freeing people, companies, and countries that have done nothing wrong but have become victims of the situation," he added, calling the operation a humanitarian gesture. "Many of these ships are running out of food supplies and everything needed to maintain sanitary conditions."
"If this humanitarian process is obstructed in any way, unfortunately, we will have to respond with force to such interference," Trump warned.
US Central Command announced its support for the operation. US military assistance includes deploying guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, and 15,000 troops. The goal of the operation is to "restore freedom of navigation" in the Strait of Hormuz.
A US official told CNN that "Project Freedom" is not a ship escort mission.
In response, Ibrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament's Foreign Policy and National Security Commission, said any US intervention in the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the ceasefire. Iran's armed forces warned that "any foreign military forces, especially the US army," would be attacked if they attempt to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has been blocking the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war between the US and Israel. Washington later imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports. A temporary truce between the US and Iran has been in effect since April 8.
Source: www.gazeta.uz