President Donald Trump announced "Project Freedom," escorting cargo ships from neutral nations stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, ready to break Iran's blockade.
"For the benefit of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have informed these nations that the U.S. will guide their ships safely out of restricted areas," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The US President warned that many ships were facing shortages of food and essential supplies. He also emphasized that any obstruction of this operation would “unfortunately have to be dealt with by force.”
Trump: The U.S. will “rescue” ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, and will use force if obstructed.
If the operation encounters resistance from Iran, this move would shatter the fragile ceasefire that came into effect on April 7.
Responding to the US statement, Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security Committee, warned that any "US interference" in the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
"The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf cannot be governed by Trump's delusional pronouncements," Azizi wrote on social media.
Despite the US-Iran ceasefire lasting nearly a month, Tehran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and Washington's tightening of controls on Iranian ports have caused global oil prices to surge.
In the US, the Medium price of gasoline has surged to $4.44 per gallon, compared to below $3 before the conflict broke out, thereby increasing inflationary pressure.
Rising energy costs are fueling growing discontent in the US, leading to a decline in President Trump's approval ratings, according to recent polls.
The door to diplomacy remains open.
Despite increased pressure, Trump said that negotiations with Iran were still progressing positively and could lead to a favorable outcome.
However, shortly before that, he also rejected Tehran's 14-point proposal to end the conflict, calling the plan "unacceptable."
On the Iranian side, officials have affirmed that their top priority is ending the hostilities and lifting the blockade before resuming broader negotiations, including on the nuclear issue.
Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared it was "fully ready" to respond to any military action from the United States.
News summary.
