Trump says the US will escort ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran warns any entry would be attacked.
A new escort plan for vessels caught up in the Strait of Hormuz is raising fresh concerns over how close US forces may operate to Iranian positions.
Donald Trump said “very positive discussions” are under way with Iran, but added that American forces will soon begin escorting ships out of the blocked waterway and back into the Gulf.. He described the effort as a response to requests from “countries from all over the world” seeking help navigating the key strait.
Project Freedom is set to begin “Monday morning, Middle East time,” according to Trump, who said it would be a “humanitarian gesture” for crews facing shortages of essentials.
Meanwhile, the situation remains tense after hostilities escalated earlier this year. Misryoum reports that the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February, Iran retaliated with strikes on US and Israeli targets, and a ceasefire later took effect on 8 April.
In this context, the question of who coordinates safe passage is central. Iran has said it maintains control over the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began and has insisted that any safe route must be coordinated with its forces.
An additional point of friction is the potential military proximity. Trump offered few operational details, but guiding ships through a narrow strait could place service members closer to Iranian forces than normal escort missions.
Misryoum also notes that US Central Command said Project Freedom support would include guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land and sea-based aircraft, unmanned platforms, and a large personnel footprint, while describing the mission as defensive.
On the Iranian side, Major General Ali Abdollahi warned that any foreign armed force approaching or entering the Strait of Hormuz would be targeted and attacked. He said safe passage must be coordinated with Iran’s armed forces under all circumstances.
Why it matters: even when framed as humanitarian, escort missions in contested waterways can quickly shift from logistics to confrontation, shaping risk for crews, regional stability, and global shipping.
At the same time, the dispute sits against a backdrop of wider maritime disruption, with Iran maintaining pressure on shipping lanes and the US keeping a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.. As Misryoum understands it, the next developments will likely hinge on whether coordination mechanisms can take hold before escalation risks harden.