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President Donald Trump announced on Sunday the initiation of “Project Freedom,” a U.S.-led mission set to commence on Monday. This operation aims to assist foreign ships currently stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, and Trump warned that any disruption to this humanitarian effort would be “dealt with forcefully.” These vessels, which he described as “neutral and innocent bystanders,” remain trapped amid regional tensions.
Through a post on Truth Social, President Trump shared that nations globally, not involved in the ongoing regional conflict, have sought U.S. assistance to free ships “locked up in the Strait of Hormuz.” He characterized these vessels as “neutral and innocent bystanders.”
“For the benefit of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have informed these countries that we will ensure the safe passage of their ships out of these constrained waterways, enabling them to resume their business,” Trump stated. He added that U.S. representatives have been instructed to “use best efforts” to guarantee the secure departure of the ships and their crews.
Trump positioned the mission as a humanitarian effort, highlighting that many of the stranded vessels are “running low on food, and everything else necessary” to support large crews, describing them as “victims of circumstance.”
He reinforced this message with a stern warning: “If, in any way, this humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.”
He coupled that message with a clear warning: “If, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.”
President Trump added that U.S. representatives are engaged in “very positive discussions” with Iran that “could lead to something very positive for all,” while making clear the humanitarian extraction operation is proceeding independently of those talks.
Details of how the operation will be carried out remain limited. Axios reported, citing two American officials, that the effort may not rely on traditional naval escorts, but that U.S. warships will remain in the vicinity to deter Iranian interference if necessary, while providing commercial vessels with guidance on the safest maritime lanes — including routes not mined by Iranian forces.
Later Sunday night, U.S. Central Command confirmed it will begin supporting Project Freedom on Monday, outlining a significant military posture behind the effort. In a statement, CENTCOM said the mission — directed by President Trump — is aimed at restoring freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a corridor through which roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade passes.
“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said.
The command said U.S. support will include guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and approximately 15,000 service members — underscoring the scale of the operation as Washington moves to secure commercial transit through the strategic chokepoint.
Earlier Sunday, President Trump said the latest Iranian proposal failed to meet U.S. requirements, telling Israel’s Kan News he had reviewed the offer and rejected it.
“I studied the new Iranian proposal, and it is not acceptable to me,” he said, adding that “the campaign is progressing very well.”
The proposal — a 14-point framework conveyed via Pakistani intermediaries — has been widely reported to demand sweeping concessions from Washington, including sanctions relief, the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region, an end to the naval blockade, and a halt to hostilities across multiple fronts, while deferring meaningful negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
Iranian officials moved Sunday to dispute key elements of those reports. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran’s proposal is focused solely on ending the conflict and insisted that “at this stage” there are no nuclear negotiations underway, while rejecting claims that the plan includes provisions related to clearing mines in the Strait.
State-linked outlets, including Fars News Agency, similarly pushed back on reports that Iran had agreed to a long-term halt to uranium enrichment or to reopening the Strait prior to a final agreement — underscoring the gap between public reporting and Tehran’s official position.
Against that backdrop, President Trump’s launch of Project Freedom introduces a new operational step — moving to extract neutral vessels and crews from the strategic chokepoint while maintaining pressure on Tehran and warning against any attempt to disrupt the effort.
The move effectively places the onus on Iran to allow the safe departure of non-involved shipping — or risk escalation if it chooses to interfere.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for – News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.