Project Freedom: What we know about Trump's new Strait of Hormuz operation?

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that his country would launch Operation Project Freedom on Monday to help ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the U.S.-Iranian conflict to leave its waters.

Operation Project Freedom - what is it?

The U.S. leader wrote on Truth Social that many countries are concerned about commercial ships stranded there because of the conflict with Iran.

"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. In all cases, they said they will not be returning until the area becomes safe for navigation, and everything else. This process, Project Freedom, will begin Monday morning, Middle East time," Trump said.

He emphasized that any interference will be dealt with forcefully. 

"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. If, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully," Trump said.

Shortly after, The Wall Street Journal wrote citing an unnamed U.S. administration official that the operation does not include escort of commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz by U.S. Navy ships.

The source said that Project Freedom will be a coordination mechanism for countries, insurance companies, and shipping organizations to move traffic through the Strait.

"It doesn’t currently involve the US Navy warships escorting vessels through the strait," the newspaper said.

Project Freedom and U.S. army

Approximately 15,000 U.S. servicemen; destroyers and over 100 aircraft will be involved in Operation Project Freedom to free ships blocked in the Strait of Hormuz because of the U.S.-Iranian military conflict, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

"U.S. military support to Project Freedom will include guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members," CENTCOM said.

Operation Project Freedom of the U.S. Navy regarding ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz does not include escort missions but will offer seafarers information about safe and mine-free lanes, Axios correspondent Barak Ravid said.

"The new Hormuz Strait initiative will not necessarily include U.S. Navy ships escorting commercial ships, according to two U.S. officials," he said.

According to him, one of the officials said U.S. Navy ships will be ‘in the vicinity’ in case they need to prevent Iran's military from attacking commercial ships moving through the strait.

"The officials said the U.S. navy is going to provide commercial ships with information on the best maritime lanes in the strait especially when it comes to using lanes that were not mined by the Iranian military," Ravid said.