This Sunday, United States President Donald Trump announced what he called “Project Freedom.”
Under the initiative, the United States aims to help vessels currently stranded in the Strait of Hormuz safely exit, after being caught in the tensions last February.
Trump described the effort as a humanitarian mission intended to assist countries not involved in the conflict.
By Monday, the operation had officially begun.
According to the latest update from US Central Command, vessels from more than 80 countries remain stranded, and coordination is ongoing to ensure the smooth flow of maritime traffic through the strait.
However, Iran had already signaled opposing views to the U.S. initiative.
According to Iran’s military, any U.S. interference in Hormuz could be met with force.
It can be recalled that Iran maintains direct control over the strait. While it previously shut down the route at the height of the conflict, it has since allowed limited access.
For Iran Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz only proves that the ongoing political crisis can’t be solved by military force.
He also criticized the initiative, referring to “Project Freedom” instead as “Project Deadlock”.
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Iran’s warnings appeared to reflect when the U.S. proceeded with the operation.
Contrary to the name “Project Freedom,” violent encounters were reported between the two sides despite the ongoing ceasefire.
According to international media reports, Iranian forces launched missiles and drones as a warning against incoming US ships nearing the Strait of Hormuz.
In response, US forces reportedly targeted six Iranian boats, which they described as interfering with the operation.
Meanwhile in a Truth Social post, Trump also claimed that Iran attacked a South Korean cargo ship.
He further stated that not six, but seven vessels were neutralized by Washington.
Despite these developments, there is still no clear confirmation on whether this signals the collapse of the existing ceasefire in the Middle East.