President Donald Trump said Sunday that “very positive discussions” were underway with Iran on finding a solution to the war, but nevertheless added US forces will soon start escorting ships out of the blocked Strait of Hormuz. On Truth Social, he said, “This process, Project Freedom, will begin Monday morning, Middle East time.”
He called it a “humanitarian gesture,” saying many of the marooned ships were “running low on food, and everything else necessary for largescale crews to stay on board in a healthy and sanitary manner.”
“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. He, however, warned that “if this Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.”
French President Emmanuel Macron urged the United States and Iran Monday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in a “coordinated” way. At a meeting of European leaders in Armenia, he said, “We are not going to take part in any military operation in a framework that to me seems unclear.”
In a post on X, US Central Command said starting Monday, its forces would begin supporting Project Freedom with guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms and 15,000 service members. A senior Iranian official warned on Monday that Tehran would consider any US attempt to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz a breach of the ceasefire.
Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire came into effect on April 8, and Iran’s stranglehold on the strategic strait following US-Israeli attacks on Tehran has been a main point of contention.
US news website Axios, citing two sources briefed on the proposal, reported that Iran set “a one-month deadline for negotiations on a deal to reopen the strait,” dissolve the US naval blockade and end the war.
Meanwhile, Israel continues its attacks, particularly in southern Lebanon, along with widespread demolition and bombing operations in border towns, where it has declared a “yellow line” separating dozens of villages from the rest of Lebanese territory. (AFP)
