President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the U.S. would be providing help to get ships that had been stuck in the Persian Gulf since the military action in the area began through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning. Trump termed it “Project Freedom” and called it a “humanitarian gesture.”
Trump warned the Iranian regime that if it took any action against these ships, they would be met with force.
In reply, a member of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, Ebrahim Azizi, claimed that such action would violate the ceasefire. But helping ships through the Strait isn’t firing on them — unless they act hostile toward them first. Then, that would mean Iran has broken the ceasefire.
READ MORE: Trump’s New Strait Plan Kicks Off Monday – With a Clear Message Attached
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According to reports citing U.S. officials, the effort involves coordination with “governments, shipping companies, and insurance firms aimed at facilitating the safe exit of vessels from the region.”
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is confirming they will begin supporting Project Freedom “to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.”
The mission, directed by the President, will support merchant vessels seeking to freely transit through the essential international trade corridor. A quarter of the world’s oil trade at sea and significant volumes of fuel and fertilizer products are transported through the strait.
“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.
Last week, the U.S. Department of State announced a new initiative, in partnership with the Department of War, to enhance coordination and information sharing among international partners in support of maritime security in the strait. The Maritime Freedom Construct aims to combine diplomatic action with military coordination, which will be critical during Project Freedom.
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.
According to reports, U.S. officials said that while this would not necessarily mean “escorts,” the U.S. Navy would be “in the vicinity” of the shipping lanes in case Iran attacked the tankers, while also providing the ships with information on where to sail to avoid the Iranian deep-sea mines. Translation? The U.S. isn’t necessarily going to put a ship out as a big target, but they will be there.
CENTCOM is also denying a claim that the regime hit a U.S. vessel in the Strait, calling that propaganda and false.
🚫 CLAIM: Iranian state media claims that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hit a U.S. warship with two missiles.
✅ TRUTH: No U.S. Navy ships have been struck. U.S. forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports. pic.twitter.com/VFxovxLU6G
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 4, 2026
CENTCOM spokesman Cpt. Tim Hawkins issued the denial in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday.
“They made this up. It’s not true,” Hawkins said.
Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, which is tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, first reported claims of a missile strike early Monday morning.
They claimed two Iranian missiles hit an unidentified U.S. vessel near the port of Jask.
The regime, of course, presented no evidence of the claim.
Now, the ships have to take them up on the help. As we’ve reported before, we’ve seen several ships get through hugging the Oman coast — that would seem to indicate that area is not mined, or at least not where those ships went through. And if they’re coordinating with the U.S., they could signal them, turn off their transponders to duck the regime, and make a run for it, and the U.S. could provide some cover that is harder for the regime to hit.
READ MORE: More Brave Cruise Ships Just Thumbed Their Noses at the IRGC in the Strait of Hormuz
We’ll have to see how it goes, it’s just a question of whether those other ships want to be as brave as the cruise ships, and whether the regime wants to really kick off the shooting war again.
If they get it going, it’s also likely to help moderate the oil prices and further break the regime’s position.
Editor’s Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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