President Donald Trump announced on Sunday the launch of an operation, which he named "Project Freedom," to facilitate the safe departure of commercial ships trapped in the Strait of Hormuz amid the escalating tensions in the Middle East. Currently, according to real-time data provided by vessel tracking pages via GPS, the traffic in Hormuz remains as closed as it has been for the past two months.
As explained by the blond president, several countries not directly involved in the conflict have requested assistance from the United States to release their vessels, many of which are blocked despite not being related to the dispute. Washington has responded with a plan that started this Monday and, as Trump stated, involves escorting these ships through the restricted waters so they can resume their commercial activities. The U.S. Central Command stated that the operation is supported by over 100 aircraft and 15,000 troops.
A few hours later, The Wall Street Journal downplayed the significance of the mission by clarifying that "the new mechanism is effectively a coordination cell to move traffic through the Strait" and that "it currently does not involve U.S. Navy warships escorting vessels." In other words, it is based on finding a "safe" route for those captains and shipping companies and communicating it to them so they can navigate through that geographical bottleneck themselves, without escort but under military surveillance. Iran, through its official agencies, asserts that "any force, especially the U.S. military, will be attacked if it approaches the Strait of Hormuz. We fully maintain and manage the security of the Strait."
Trump framed the initiative as a humanitarian and goodwill gesture, emphasizing that some ships are already facing supply problems for their crews. However, it is very unlikely that any tanker or freighter would want to undertake that transit at this time through waters that remain mined and under the threat of Iranian bombardment. Just yesterday, several fast boats from Tehran attacked a ship attempting to pass through the Strait to the south. Also, the insurers of these freighters do not seem willing to continue covering navigation through an area considered a "war zone."
The U.S. president also stated that there are "very positive" conversations with Iran, which could pave the way for diplomatic progress, although he warned that any attempt to interfere with the operation will be met with firmness. The White House presents the measure as an effort to ease pressure on international trade and reduce risks in one of the world's main energy routes.