U.S. Successfully Escorting Ships Through the Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Started Assisting Ships to Cross the Strait of Hormuz this Week

While Star Wars nerds, like me, were saying “May the 4th be with you,” family and friends of crew members and shippers with cargo stuck in the Persian Gulf were saying, “May the U.S. force be with you.”

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced yesterday, May 4th, it would assist merchant ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz. They call it “Project Freedom.”

President Trump first announced Project Freedom on May 3rd on Truth Social:

Countries from all over the World, almost all of which are not involved in the Middle Eastern dispute going on so visibly, and violently, for all to see, have asked the United States if we could help free up their Ships, which are locked up in the Strait of Hormuz, on something which they have absolutely nothing to do with — They are merely 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. 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. In all cases, they said they will not be returning until the area becomes safe for navigation, and everything else. This process, Project Freedom, will begin Monday morning, Middle East time. I am fully aware that my Representatives are having very positive discussions with the Country of Iran, and that these discussions could lead to something very positive for all. The Ship movement is merely meant to free up people, companies, and Countries that have done absolutely nothing wrong — They are victims of circumstance. This is a Humanitarian gesture on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern Countries but, in particular, the Country of Iran. 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. I think it would go a long way in showing Goodwill on behalf of all of those who have been fighting so strenuously over the last number of months. If, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

Jacki Thrapp and Aldgra Fredly details on CENTCOM’s subsequent announcement in an article in the Epoch Times:

The command said that 15,000 U.S. service members, guided-missile destroyers, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and over 100 land and sea-based aircraft will take part in the mission.

“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement.

The announcement was made hours after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said a bulk carrier was attacked by multiple small craft as it transited toward the Strait of Hormuz near Iran on Sunday.

All crew members were reported safe after the attack, and there was no reported environmental damage or pollution.

Iran Aggressions Aren’t Considered Enough to End Ceasefire

That Iranian attack on the bulk carrier right before is not the entirety of Iranian aggression in the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire went into effect on April 8th.

Despite these aggressions, the Trump Administration has not ended the ceasefire. Chris Summers reported in an Epoch Times article today:

At a Pentagon briefing, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said a series of Iranian attacks were below the threshold of “major combat operations.”

“Since the ceasefire was announced, Iran has fired at commercial vessels nine times and seized two container ships, and they’ve attacked U.S. forces more than 10 times, all below the threshold of restarting major combat operations at this point,” Caine said.

“The ceasefire is not over,” Hegseth said, supporting Caine’s earlier statements.

But Hegseth warned that if Iran tried to interfere with Project Freedom, the U.S. military’s operation to keep open the Strait of Hormuz, they would suffer the consequences.

One thing the Trump Administration has demonstrated is that it’s not afraid to blow a ship that is a threat out of the water, not only with the 150+ Iranian naval vessels its destroyed or damaged in this war but with the 50+ drug-smuggling vessels en route to the U.S. it struck in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

U.S. Announces Safe Transit of Ships, Denying Iran’s Claim of Striking U.S. Warship

Iran, not out of character, seems to be claiming more success with its aggression than it’s actually having.

Iranian state media claimed Iranian forces actually struck a U.S. warship twice, damaging it so badly it couldn’t continue its course and had to turn around flee. In another Epoch Times article, Evgenia Filimianova reported the details:

Iranian state broadcaster IRIB stated on May 4 that the Iranian Navy “has given a firm and swift warning to the destroyers of the American–Zionist enemy,” which prevented them from entering the strait.

Iranian naval chief Shahram Irani warned that “if the enemies come forward, we will take swift and decisive action,” according to IRIB’s report.

The Fars News Agency, an Iranian state-run media outlet, reported on May 4 that “two missiles have struck a U.S. Navy frigate in the regional waters,” citing local sources in southern Iran.

…

According to the report, the vessel had been operating near the port of Jask and “came under missile attack after ignoring warnings from the naval forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

It stated that the ship “was unable to continue its course and was forced to turn back and flee the area.”

Iranian news outlets claim Tehran has control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, the U.S. announced not only are U.S. Navy destroyers assisting to restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but they have successfully helped two U.S.-flagged merchant ships safely through the strait, as reported in Filimianova’s article:

“U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom,” it stated.

“American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping. As a first step, 2 U.S.-flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz and are safely headed on their journey.”

According to comments from President Trump, the Iran War could last another two to three weeks. No matter how much longer things drag on for the U.S. to get its guarantee Iran will no longer pursue its nuclear ambitions, at least ships that have been stuck in the Persian Gulf are now getting out. Plus, as discussed in Universal Cargo’s last post, 92% of cargo that was stuck there now has clear delivery dates.