Trump announces ‘Project Freedom’ to guide ships safely out of Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump announced a new initiative, dubbed “Project Freedom,” aimed at safely guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime chokepoint in the Middle East. Trump made the announcement on the social media platform Truth Social. Countries from around the world, “almost all of which are not involved in the Middle Eastern dispute,” requested US assistance to free their ships stranded in the strategic waterway. The president described the operation as a humanitarian gesture, intended to help neutral nations that have been caught in the conflict through no fault of their own. “These are Ships from areas of the World that are not in any way involved with that which is currently taking place in the Middle East. I have told my Representatives to inform them that we will use best efforts to get their Ships and Crews safely out of the Strait,” Trump said. The initiative is scheduled to begin Monday morning, Middle East time, with Trump emphasizing that the operation aims to provide relief to crews who may be running low on food and other essential supplies. He also highlighted ongoing positive discussions with Iran that could lead to further diplomatic progress. Trump warned that any interference with the humanitarian effort would “unfortunately… have to be dealt with forcefully,” underlining the seriousness of the U.S. commitment to securing the ships’ safe passage. Iran’s National Security Council head, Ebrahim Azizi, warned that any US intervention in the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the ceasefire. Responding to recent statements by US President Donald Trump, Azizi said that the management of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf would not be dictated by what he described as Trump’s “deceptive statements.” He emphasized that there is no room for rhetoric in the affairs of the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf region.