The US will launch a humanitarian operation on May 4 to remove ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.
Donald Trump stated this on his social network Truth Social.
The US President announced the launch of an operation called "Project Freedom", which is intended to help ships from neutral countries leave the strait. According to Trump, countries from all over the world have asked Washington to secure the exit of their ships.
Trump called the initiative a humanitarian step and noted that Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, are also joining in. The United States has promised to escort the ships and their crews to ensure their safety.
The president stressed that some of the ships were running out of food and resources needed to support their crews. He also warned that if the operation was obstructed, the US would “respond decisively”.
The US Central Command said the military support will include guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft, unmanned platforms and about 15 000 troops. The operation is scheduled to begin on the morning of May 4.
War in the Middle East and negotiations between Iran and the US
On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and almost the entire military leadership of the country — about 40 key high-ranking officials.
Iran, in response to the US and Israeli attacks, began shelling Arab countries and Israel. The war also halted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean. It was through it that almost a fifth of the worldʼs oil exports passed — tens of millions of barrels a day.
On April 8, the parties agreed to a two-week ceasefire. On April 13, the United States began a naval blockade of Iranian ports, demanding the complete unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz for all ships.
On April 17, Lebanon and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, after which Iran unblocked the Strait of Hormuz. However, on April 18, Iran announced that it was again blocking the Strait of Hormuz due to the US naval blockade. On the same day , Iran fired on several ships attempting to pass through the strait.
On April 19, Donald Trump announced that his representatives would go to Pakistan for talks. But Iran refused to send its delegation. The Foreign Ministry noted that the US had violated the ceasefire, and Iran "cannot forget the US attacks on it during previous talks".
On April 21, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had extended the truce with Iran until the Iranians submitted their proposals and concluded discussions. And on May 1, Axios wrote, citing a letter from Trump to House Speaker Mike Johnson, that Trump considered the war over.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.