Trump said on Sunday that he was launching the campaign dubbed Project Freedom at the request of countries whose vessels are stranded in the strait, and warned against interference with the effort. Aljazeera reported.
They are merely neutral and innocent bystanders!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, without specifying which countries called for Washington’s help.
“For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business.”
“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,” Trump said, adding that any interference in the operation would “unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.”
It is unclear how the campaign, which Trump described as a humanitarian gesture, will proceed or whether it will involve coordination with Tehran.
If met with Iranian resistance, the move risks shattering the fragile ceasefire that came into effect on April 7.
Following Trump’s announcement, Ebrahim Azizi, the head of the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, warned that any “American interference” in the strait would be considered a breach of the truce.
