US President Donald Trump has unveiled an initiative called “Project Freedom” aimed at helping commercial ships currently stranded in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions in the Gulf region.In a post on Truth Social on Sunday (local time), Trump said several countries had requested US assistance to help their ships safely exit the strategically important waterway.The US President said: “Countries from all over the world, almost all of them not involved in the conflict in the Middle East that is unfolding so clearly and violently for all to see, have asked the United States to help free their ships detained in the Strait of Hormuz, in something that has absolutely nothing to do with them.”
He said that the United States would intervene to ensure the safe movement of the affected ships. He added: “For the benefit of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have informed these countries that we will safely direct their ships out of these restricted waterways, so that they can continue their business freely and capable.”Trump added that the ships in question belong to countries not directly linked to the ongoing conflict. “Again, these are ships from parts of the world that are in no way connected to what is currently happening in the Middle East.
“I have asked my representatives to inform them that we will do everything in our power to safely get their ships and crews out of the strait.”He further stated that once the ships left, they would not return until conditions were safe. He added: “In any case, they said they would not return until the area was safe for navigation and everything else.”Trump said that the initiative, called “Project Freedom,” will begin Monday morning (Middle Eastern time).
“This operation, Project Freedom, will begin Monday morning, Eastern time.”He also noted that US representatives are engaged in what he described as “very positive discussions” with Iran, indicating potential diplomatic progress.“I am fully aware that my representatives are having very positive discussions with the country of Iran, and that these discussions can lead to something very positive for everyone,” Trump said.He added that the ship movement aims to help those not affected by the conflict. “The movement of ships is just to free people, companies and countries that have done absolutely nothing wrong – they are victims of circumstance,” he said.Trump described the initiative as humanitarian in nature, and said: “This is a humanitarian gesture on behalf of the United States and the countries of the Middle East, but in particular, the country of Iran.”He also highlighted concerns about display conditions on board ships. “Many of these ships are suffering from food shortages, and everything else is necessary to keep the extensive crews on board in a healthy and hygienic manner,” he said.Trump warned against interfering in the process. He added: “If this humanitarian operation is interfered with in any way, this interference will unfortunately have to be dealt with forcefully.”In a separate development, Trump also rejected Iran’s recent proposal to address the regional conflict, calling it “unacceptable.” Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said that Tehran has received Washington’s response to its proposal and is currently reviewing it. According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, the proposal was made as a response to a US plan and calls for an end to hostilities across multiple fronts, including Lebanon.While the United States proposed a two-month ceasefire, Iran demanded a shorter time frame of 30 days and stressed that efforts should prioritize ending the war rather than extending the ceasefire period.The Iranian proposal also includes calls for guarantees against military action, the withdrawal of US forces from the region near Iran, the release of frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions, and the establishment of a new mechanism to manage the Strait of Hormuz.
