US Launches 'Project Freedom' Operation to Escort Ships Through Strait of Hormuz
The United States is reportedly launching ‘Project Freedom’ or Liberation Project. Washington is guiding ships intending to exit through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to BBC via detikNews on Tuesday (5/5/2026), the operation began with a US attack on seven Iranian fast boats in the Strait of Hormuz. The US military bombarded those boats using helicopters.
“We have shot seven small boats or, as they call them, ‘fast boats’. That’s all they have,” said US President Donald Trump.
However, Tehran denied the attack. Tasnim news agency, quoting military sources, reported that the strike instead targeted two small cargo ships, killing five civilians.
Trump Had Already Spilled the Beans
Trump had actually revealed the operation some time ago. At that time, he stated that the US Navy would begin escorting stranded ships in Persian Gulf waters to exit via the Strait of Hormuz on Monday (4/5).
It is known that those ships have been stranded since Iran became involved in a conflict with the US and Israel on 28 February.
On Monday (4/5), shipping company Maersk said the US-flagged ship Alliance Fairfax, which had been stranded in the Gulf since late February, had exited the Strait of Hormuz.
The company said it had been contacted by US parties who “offered the ship an opportunity to leave the Gulf under US military protection”.
“The ship then exited the Persian Gulf accompanied by US military assets without incident, and all crew members are safe and uninjured,” Maersk added.
Not All Ships Exit the Gulf
However, not all ships could exit safely. The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry reported that an Adnoc tanker, owned by the state oil company, was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.
South Korea also reported an explosion on one of their ships anchored near the UAE.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the events in the Strait of Hormuz “clearly show that there is no military solution to the political crisis”.
“‘Project Freedom’ is a project of deadlock,” he added.
Iran’s military said it would attack US forces if they entered the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump Reveals Reason for Launching ‘Project Freedom’
US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that the operation involves 15,000 personnel, missile-armed destroyers, and more than 100 aircraft.
In a social media post, Trump explained that “countries from all over the world” had asked the US if they could help free those ships, which he described as “just innocent neutral parties”.
Trump continued that US representatives were holding “very positive” talks with Iran, and that those talks “could lead to something very positive for all parties”.
Iran’s blockade of the strait has caused global fuel prices to rise because most of the world’s oil can no longer pass through that route.
Around 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes through the strait.
Additionally, it is estimated that 20,000 seafarers have been trapped in the Gulf since the war with Iran began. The impact of the war is feared to have severe consequences on the physical and mental health of the seafarers. Moreover, their logistical supplies are running thin.
On Sunday (3/5), the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a tanker had been hit by an “unknown projectile” in the strait, adding that the crew were safe.
Iran Threatens to Attack Foreign Militaries Trying to Enter Strait of Hormuz
The head of Iran’s central command emphasised that they would attack “any foreign armed force” attempting to approach or enter the strait, “especially the aggressive US military”.
Major General Ali Abdollahi said that Iran had “repeatedly” emphasised that the strait is “under the control” of Iran’s armed forces. As for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, he added, it must be coordinated with Iran “in all circumstances”.
The “Project Freedom” operation was undertaken while both countries are still under a temporary ceasefire that began on 8 April, and as they attempt to agree on a permanent peace plan.
Senior Iranian parliament member Ebrahim Azizi, a former commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, wrote on social media that “any American intervention” would “be considered a violation of the ceasefire”.
Iran had previously accused the US of violating the ceasefire by blockading its ports.
Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said at the end of April that the blockade was tantamount to holding the global economy hostage.