On Monday, two US Navy destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz as part of Project Freedom came under Iranian fire from small boats, missiles, and drones. The ships were escorted safely through the Strait by American ships. Trump launched Project Freedom Monday to help escort vessels safely through the Strait that have been stuck for weeks.
On Tuesday morning, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the Project Freedom, saying that the purpose of this was to bring ships safely through the Strait. "As you know," Hegseth said, "President Trump has directed US Central Command to restart the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz under the umbrella of Project Freedom, to be clear, this operation is separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury."
According to CBS News, the USS Truxtun and USS Mason were backed by fighter aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters during the encounter, with officials describing it as a "sustained barrage." Despite the attack, neither of the destroyers were impacted, and US forces intercepted or deterred each threat.
Fox News reported that the US is moving closer to restarting major combat operations against the rogue regime, with the final decision on peace resting with President Donald Trump and Tehran’s new leadership. Senior officials told the outlet’s Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin “We are closer to the resumption of major combat operations than we were 24 hours ago after Iran fired on US vessels and targeted UAE today with missiles and drones and fast boats." senior officials told Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin.
On Monday, over a dozen Iranian missiles and drones were launched at the United Arab Emirates, injuring three Indian nationals and sparking a fire at an oil facility. The British military reported two cargo vessels attacked off the UAE, and the US said it sank six Iranian boats targeting civilian ships.
Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned the US and the UAE, “Events in Hormuz make clear that there's no military solution to a political crisis. As talks are making progress with Pakistan's gracious effort, the U.S. should be wary of being dragged back into a quagmire by ill-wishers. So should the UAE.” He added. “Project Freedom is Project Deadlock.”
Speaking to press on Tuesday, Hegseth said "Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration, with one mission, protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression. American forces won't need to enter Iranian waters or airspace. It's not necessary. We're not looking for a fight. But Iran also cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their goods from an international waterway."
President Donald Trump on Sunday unveiled Project Freedom, the US-led initiative aimed at restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz by escorting stranded international vessels out of the region beginning Monday morning, Middle East time. The move comes amid escalating tensions in the region and growing concerns over global trade disruptions tied to the strategic waterway.
In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump said multiple countries had appealed to the United States for assistance. “Countries from all over the world… have asked the United States if we could help free up their ships, which are locked up in the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote. “They are merely neutral and innocent bystanders.”
Trump emphasized that the mission is not an escalation, but rather an effort to assist nations and crews caught in the fallout of regional instability. “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,” he added.
According to the president, many of the vessels have been stranded for weeks, with crews reportedly facing dwindling supplies. “Many of these ships are running low on food and everything else necessary for large-scale crews to stay on board in a healthy and sanitary manner,” Trump said.
Trump also issued a clear warning: any interference with the operation would be met with force. “If, in any way, this humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will… have to be dealt with forcefully,” he stated. The announcement follows Trump’s public skepticism toward a 14-point peace proposal put forward by Iran over the weekend, which failed to meet US expectations.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it would support Project Freedom with a significant deployment of military assets, including guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft, unmanned systems, and approximately 15,000 service members. “Forces will begin supporting Project Freedom May 4 to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
The command noted that roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade passes through the corridor, along with critical fuel and fertilizer shipments. Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, described the mission as vital not only to regional security but also to the stability of the global economy.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz backed the operation, condemning Iran’s recent actions in the Strait as illegal and dangerous. “Iran laying sea mines indiscriminately in international waters and attempting to ‘toll’ civilian commercial shipping is illegal and unacceptable,” Waltz said.
He warned that allowing such actions to stand would set a troubling precedent for other critical chokepoints around the world. “Whether it’s the Straits of Malacca or Gibraltar or Hormuz, the world cannot allow the precedent to stand. The US and our Gulf partners will lead the way to defend global freedom of navigation.”
Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, warned that any US involvement in the strait’s maritime operations would be viewed as a violation of the current ceasefire. “Any American interference… will be considered a violation,” Azizi said, dismissing Trump’s announcement as “delusional.”
“The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf are not a place for rhetoric,” he added.
On Tuesday morning, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the Project Freedom, saying that the purpose of this was to bring ships safely through the Strait. "As you know," Hegseth said, "President Trump has directed US Central Command to restart the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz under the umbrella of Project Freedom, to be clear, this operation is separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury."
According to CBS News, the USS Truxtun and USS Mason were backed by fighter aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters during the encounter, with officials describing it as a "sustained barrage." Despite the attack, neither of the destroyers were impacted, and US forces intercepted or deterred each threat.
Fox News reported that the US is moving closer to restarting major combat operations against the rogue regime, with the final decision on peace resting with President Donald Trump and Tehran’s new leadership. Senior officials told the outlet’s Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin “We are closer to the resumption of major combat operations than we were 24 hours ago after Iran fired on US vessels and targeted UAE today with missiles and drones and fast boats." senior officials told Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin.
On Monday, over a dozen Iranian missiles and drones were launched at the United Arab Emirates, injuring three Indian nationals and sparking a fire at an oil facility. The British military reported two cargo vessels attacked off the UAE, and the US said it sank six Iranian boats targeting civilian ships.
Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned the US and the UAE, “Events in Hormuz make clear that there's no military solution to a political crisis. As talks are making progress with Pakistan's gracious effort, the U.S. should be wary of being dragged back into a quagmire by ill-wishers. So should the UAE.” He added. “Project Freedom is Project Deadlock.”
Speaking to press on Tuesday, Hegseth said "Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration, with one mission, protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression. American forces won't need to enter Iranian waters or airspace. It's not necessary. We're not looking for a fight. But Iran also cannot be allowed to block innocent countries and their goods from an international waterway."
President Donald Trump on Sunday unveiled Project Freedom, the US-led initiative aimed at restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz by escorting stranded international vessels out of the region beginning Monday morning, Middle East time. The move comes amid escalating tensions in the region and growing concerns over global trade disruptions tied to the strategic waterway.
In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump said multiple countries had appealed to the United States for assistance. “Countries from all over the world… have asked the United States if we could help free up their ships, which are locked up in the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote. “They are merely neutral and innocent bystanders.”
Trump emphasized that the mission is not an escalation, but rather an effort to assist nations and crews caught in the fallout of regional instability. “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,” he added.
According to the president, many of the vessels have been stranded for weeks, with crews reportedly facing dwindling supplies. “Many of these ships are running low on food and everything else necessary for large-scale crews to stay on board in a healthy and sanitary manner,” Trump said.
Trump also issued a clear warning: any interference with the operation would be met with force. “If, in any way, this humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will… have to be dealt with forcefully,” he stated. The announcement follows Trump’s public skepticism toward a 14-point peace proposal put forward by Iran over the weekend, which failed to meet US expectations.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it would support Project Freedom with a significant deployment of military assets, including guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft, unmanned systems, and approximately 15,000 service members. “Forces will begin supporting Project Freedom May 4 to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
The command noted that roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade passes through the corridor, along with critical fuel and fertilizer shipments. Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, described the mission as vital not only to regional security but also to the stability of the global economy.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz backed the operation, condemning Iran’s recent actions in the Strait as illegal and dangerous. “Iran laying sea mines indiscriminately in international waters and attempting to ‘toll’ civilian commercial shipping is illegal and unacceptable,” Waltz said.
He warned that allowing such actions to stand would set a troubling precedent for other critical chokepoints around the world. “Whether it’s the Straits of Malacca or Gibraltar or Hormuz, the world cannot allow the precedent to stand. The US and our Gulf partners will lead the way to defend global freedom of navigation.”
Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, warned that any US involvement in the strait’s maritime operations would be viewed as a violation of the current ceasefire. “Any American interference… will be considered a violation,” Azizi said, dismissing Trump’s announcement as “delusional.”
“The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf are not a place for rhetoric,” he added.
