ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States has announced the launch of a major maritime operation aimed at restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed Monday that its forces will begin supporting “Project Freedom”, under presidential direction, to ensure the “freedom of navigation for commercial shipping” through the strategic waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly a quarter of global seaborne oil trade, along with significant volumes of fuel and fertilizer products, making it a key artery for the global economy. It was closed after the US and Israel launched a wide-scale air campaign against Iran on February 28, targeting more than 17,000 sites across the country over six weeks of hostilities.
In response, Tehran carried out drone and missile strikes across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets - particularly in Gulf Arab states - as well as launching retaliatory attacks against Israel.
Further complicating the situation are tit-for-tat maritime restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has tightened controls on shipping, while the US has enforced naval measures targeting vessels linked to Iranian ports.
“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” CENTCOM cited its commander Adm. Brad Cooper as saying.
The mission comes alongside a broader diplomatic and security initiative announced last week by the US Department of State, in coordination with the Department of War. The initiative, known as the Maritime Freedom Construct, aims to improve coordination and intelligence-sharing among international partners to support maritime security in the strait.
According to CENTCOM, US military support will "include guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members."
The launch of the mission comes hours after US President Donald Trump said Sunday that “very positive discussions” were underway with Iran regarding the conflict and confirmed that US forces would soon begin escorting ships locked up in the Strait of Hormuz under the same operation, which he called “Project Freedom.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the mission as a “humanitarian gesture,” claiming that many vessels in the area “were running low on food,” though he did not provide operational details on how the escort system would function.
The announcement has already drawn a strong reaction from Tehran. A senior Iranian official warned that any US intervention in the waterway would be viewed as a violation of the current ceasefire framework.
“Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire,” Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliamentary national security commission, wrote on X.
Meanwhile, US broadcaster ABC, citing a spokesperson for CENTCOM, reported that the seized Iranian vessel Touska and its crew had been transferred to Pakistan for repatriation to Iran. "Today, U.S. forces completed the transfer of 22 crew members of M/V Touska to Pakistan for repatriation," ABC cited Captain Tim Hawkins as saying.
On April 19, the US intercepted and boarded the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska in the Gulf of Oman as part of a US maritime enforcement operation targeting Iranian-linked shipping activity near the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel was stopped while reportedly heading toward an Iranian port, and US forces took control of the ship and crew under blockade.
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