Donald Trump says US will ‘help free up’ ships stuck in Hormuz Strait

United States President Donald Trump has said the US will “help free up” ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz from Monday, suggesting that his administration will break Iran’s blockade of the strategic waterway.

Trump said on Sunday that he was launching the campaign – dubbed Project Freedom – at the request of countries whose vessels are stranded in the strait, whom he referred to as “neutral and innocent bystanders”.

“For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, without specifying which countries called for Washington’s help.

“Many of these Ships are running low on food, and everything else necessary for largescale crews to stay on board in a healthy and sanitary manner,” Trump said, adding that any interference in the operation would “unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully”.

It is unclear how the campaign, which Trump described as a humanitarian gesture, will proceed, or whether it will involve coordination with Tehran.

If met with Iranian resistance, the move risks shattering the fragile ceasefire that came into effect on April 7.