U.S. Navy Ensign Himmat Walha, of the guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt, monitors maritime safety during a Strait of Hormuz transit Dec. 16, 2025. (Indra Beaufort/U.S. Navy)
U.S. military forces starting Monday will guide commercial shipping from “neutral and innocent” countries through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Central Command and a social media post by President Donald Trump.
“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 wrote early Monday on Truth Social.
The operation will not involve escort of vessels by U.S. warships, the Wall Street Journal reported. It is effectively a coordination cell made up of countries, insurance companies and shipping organizations that is intended to move traffic through the strait.
The effort will include locating Iranian mines and passing along information to ships so they can avoid danger, the Journal reported, citing senior U.S. officials. CENTCOM did not immediately respond to questions seeking confirmation.
Shipping companies and their insurers have been wary of transiting the waterway since the war started on Feb. 28. Even with intelligence on mines, Iranian forces still maintain the ability to attack vessels in other ways.
A U.K.-based maritime security monitor reported assaults on two ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday that featured projectiles and small attack boats.
The U.S. Navy is blockading Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz as part of its war against Iran. At the same time, Iran is threatening to attack any vessel that attempts to navigate the strait without its permission.
“Again, these are Ships from areas of the world that are not in any way involved with that which is currently taking place in the Middle East. I have told my Representatives to inform them that we will use best efforts to get their ships and crews safely out of the Strait,” Trump wrote.
Central Command from its headquarters in Tampa, Fla., on Sunday said it would begin Project Freedom to “restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Trump’s post referred to the operation as a humanitarian gesture “on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern Countries but, in particular, the Country of Iran.” He added: “If, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully. “
Iran effectively closed the strait after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Feb. 28, though some ships are afforded safe passage via routes closer to its shore, sometimes by paying fees.
Project Freedom “will support merchant vessels seeking to freely transit through the essential international trade corridor. A quarter of the world’s oil trade at sea and significant volumes of fuel and fertilizer products are transported through the strait,” according to a news release Sunday from the command.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Mason sails within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in this undated photo. (U.S. Central Command)
“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in the release.
“The mission will support merchant vessels seeking to freely transit through the essential international trade corridor. A quarter of the world’s oil trade at sea and significant volumes of fuel and fertilizer products are transported through the strait,” the release states.
Friday, the deadline to seek congressional approval for continued military action against Iran, Trump asserted that hostilities have terminated, despite the presence of U.S. forces in the region, The Associated Press reported. Trump’s Truth Social post did not mention the 60-day deadline set according to the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
The guide operation is part of a partnership between the State and Defense departments — the Maritime Freedom Construct — announced last week “to enhance coordination and information sharing among international partners in support of maritime security in the strait,” according to the command.
“The Maritime Freedom Construct aims to combine diplomatic action with military coordination, which will be critical during Project Freedom,” the release states.
The U.S. will employ guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms and 15,000 service members in support of the project, according to the command.
The U.S. naval blockade that began April 13 targets Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. Over the previous 20 days, at least 48 vessels were redirected to ensure compliance with the blockade, according to CENTCOM on Saturday.
