Washington launches military operation to liberate navigation in Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump announced the launch of an operation in the Strait of Hormuz called "Project Freedom", with "  US efforts to liberate ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz starting on Monday morning Middle East time".

 The US president explained  that "the movement of ships is only aimed at freeing people, companies and countries that have not done anything wrong and are victims of circumstances," according  to him.

  "What we are going to do is a humanitarian gesture by the United States, the countries of the Middle East, and from Iran in particular," Trump added,  adding that the move would show a great deal of goodwill from all those who have been fighting hard in the past months.

The US president claimed that countries around the world, most of which are not involved in the conflict in the Middle East, have asked us to help them free their ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and continued, "We have informed those countries that we will steer their ships and get them out of the Strait of Hormuz safely so that they can resume their work freely."

"In the interest of Iran, the region and America, we have informed these countries that we will safely guide their ships out," Trump said, adding, "I am fully aware that our representatives are having very positive talks with Iran and may lead to something very positive for everyone."

U.S. Army: 1,000 planes and 15,000 troops to support "Freedom Project"

The US Central Command announced that it will begin supporting the "Freedom Project" with the aim of restoring the freedom of navigation of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

The command said in a statement that its forces, under the guidance of the US president, will work to support commercial ships seeking to cross freely, indicating that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and War have launched the "Maritime Freedom Structure" initiative to enhance coordination in the strait.

The commander of US Central Command said support for this "defense mission" is essential for regional security and the global economy, explaining that military support will include destroyers equipped with guided missiles.

He noted that the operation will include more than 100 aircraft and about 15,000 military personnel, adding that support for the "Freedom Project" comes at a time when the United States also continues to implement a naval blockade.

Newspaper:  US warships  will not enter the "Freedom Project"

The Wall Street Journal quoted a US official as saying that the new initiative, dubbed by Trump the "Freedom Project," is a mechanism that allows countries, insurance companies and shipping organizations to coordinate navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The official added that the initiative does not include at its current stage the accompaniment of US Navy warships to ships transiting the Strait.

The same official noted that the IRGC has recently deployed naval mines in the strait, posing new risks to commercial shipping through the corridor.

 Axios quoted officials as saying that US Navy ships will be nearby in anticipation of preventing the Iranian army from attacking ships transiting the Hormuz, stressing that the US Navy will provide ships with information on safe passages in the strait that are not threatened by Iranian mines.

The first Iranian comment on the "Freedom Project" in Hormuz

The head of the National Security Committee in the Iranian parliament, Ebrahim Azizi, warned that any US intervention in the Strait of Hormuz regime "will be considered a violation of the ceasefire", following US President Donald Trump's announcement of the "Freedom Project" to facilitate the movement of ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Azizi added that the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf waters "will not be managed by imaginary publications of the US president."