The BRICS TimesWith thousands of seafarers stranded and global oil markets on edge, President Donald Trump has ordered the US military to guide neutral foreign vessels out of the blockaded Strait of Hormuz calling it a humanitarian mission, even as Iran warns the move could shatter the fragile ceasefire.
America Steps In The Mission Begins
The United States has launched a bold new naval operation codenamed “Project Freedom.” President Donald Trump announced Sunday that US forces would begin escorting stranded foreign ships out of the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning, Middle East time. Posting on Truth Social, Trump framed the move as a humanitarian gesture for neutral nations whose vessels have been trapped since the Iran war erupted on February 28.
“Countries from all over the World, almost all of which are not involved in the Middle Eastern dispute going on so visibly, and violently, for all to see, have asked the United States if we could help free up their Ships, which are locked up in the Strait of Hormuz, on something which they have absolutely nothing to do with They are merely neutral and innocent bystanders!” he wrote.
Trump made clear the ships escorted out would not return not until safe navigation is restored. He warned, too, that any attempt to interfere with the mission would “unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.”
A Massive Military Deployment
US Central Command known as CENTCOM confirmed the scale of Project Freedom late Sunday on X. The operation includes guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper described the mission’s broader purpose plainly: to “restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.”
“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” Cooper said.
A quarter of the world’s oil trade at sea along with substantial volumes of fuel and fertiliser passes through the Strait. The operation runs alongside the existing US naval blockade of Iranian ports, in place since April 13.
Diplomacy Runs Parallel But Cracks Show
Even as Project Freedom launched, Trump acknowledged diplomacy was still alive. “I am fully aware that my Representatives are having very positive discussions with the Country of Iran, and that these discussions could lead to something very positive for all,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Iran had submitted a 14-point peace proposal a three-stage plan aimed at ending the war within 30 days. It calls for a permanent ceasefire, a mutual non-aggression pact involving Israel and regional actors, a gradual reopening of the Strait, phased lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and Iran taking responsibility for clearing sea mines.
But Trump, speaking to Kan News, was blunt: “It’s not acceptable to me. I’ve studied it; I’ve studied everything it’s not acceptable.”
Iran Pushes Back Hard
Tehran’s response to Project Freedom was sharp. Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliamentary National Security Commission, warned on X: “Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire.” He added pointedly “The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf would not be managed by Trump’s delusional posts!”
Iran has maintained a stranglehold on the Strait since the war began closing it intermittently in retaliation for what Tehran calls violations of its sovereignty. Each closure has rattled energy markets, rerouted tankers, and driven up fuel prices worldwide. The average price of a gallon of US regular gas has climbed nearly 50% since February 28.
20,000 Seafarers Stranded Running Low on Basics
The human cost is severe. Around 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the International Chamber of Shipping. Many come from India and southeast Asian nations countries with no stake in the conflict.
Captain Istique Alam, who mans an Emirati oil tanker stuck off the coast of Oman for over two months, described the reality bluntly. “Ceasefire is not for seafarers,” Alam told CNN. “Ceasefire is for normal people.”
Trump himself acknowledged the deteriorating conditions aboard these vessels. “Many of these Ships are running low on food, and everything else necessary for largescale crews to stay on board in a healthy and sanitary manner,” he wrote. He added the operation would “go a long way in showing Goodwill on behalf of all of those who have been fighting so strenuously over the last number of months.”
A Volatile Sunday Before the Mission Began
The announcement came hours after a fresh incident rattled the region. A cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz reported being “attacked by multiple small craft” Sunday morning, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre confirmed. All crew aboard the unidentified northbound vessel were safe following the attack off Sirik, Iran. It marked at least the two-dozenth such attack since the war began a stark reminder of the danger awaiting US forces.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s prime minister, foreign minister, and army chief have continued to urge both Washington and Tehran to pursue direct dialogue as the fragile ceasefire, now over three weeks old, holds but only barely.
Akshay Didwaniya
Pratik Agrawal
Mayur Mohta