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World
The US Navy announced that guided-missile destroyers are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after crossing the Strait of Hormuz, in support of "Project Freedom" aimed at resecuring commercial navigation in the region.
The US Navy announced that guided-missile destroyers are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after crossing the Strait of Hormuz, in support of "Project Freedom" aimed at resecuring commercial navigation in the region.
"CENTCOM" indicated that US forces are actively participating in efforts to restore ship transit, as two commercial vessels flying the US flag successfully passed through the strait and continue their journey safely.
This step comes amid escalating tensions in the strait, with US efforts to ensure the continued flow of maritime trade without disruption.
In this context, "CENTCOM" said earlier on Monday that no US Navy ship was hit in the Strait of Hormuz, in response to Iranian claims that the Revolutionary Guard struck a US warship with two missiles.
The Central Command affirmed, in a post on "X", that US forces support "Operation Freedom" and impose a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
US President Donald Trump had announced the launch of "Project Freedom" aimed at freeing ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, explaining that US efforts would begin Monday morning Middle East time.
The Central Command affirmed, in a post on "X", that US forces support "Operation Freedom" and impose a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
US President Donald Trump had announced the launch of "Project Freedom" aimed at freeing ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, explaining that US efforts would begin Monday morning Middle East time.
Trump said, in a post on his platform "Truth Social", that the US Navy will escort a number of ships stranded in the strait, noting that several countries, most of which are not involved in the Middle East conflict, have asked Washington for help in securing the passage of their ships.
He added that the United States informed those countries that it would take charge of guiding their ships and safely escorting them out of the strait, stressing that the goal is "to free people, companies, and countries that have done nothing wrong."
He affirmed that the US step aims to ensure the safety of navigation, and that the interest of Iran, the region, and the United States lies in the safe exit of ships from the strait.
Trump considered the upcoming step as representing "a humanitarian gesture" from the United States and countries in the Middle East, and from Iran in particular, considering that the operation will reflect a great deal of goodwill among the parties that have clashed in recent months.
He said that any attempt to obstruct this humanitarian operation "will have to be dealt with forcefully," stressing that the goal is to ensure the implementation of the initiative without interventions that disrupt its course.
On a related note, the US Central Command announced on Monday that its commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, conducted an aerial tour over the territorial waters around the Strait of Hormuz, aboard an "AH-64 Apache" attack helicopter, on Sunday.
The Central Command released a video documenting Cooper's tour aboard the helicopter.
It explained that this tour came on the eve of the start of "Project Freedom" operation, where Cooper met with a number of US Army soldiers, following his visit to sailors and Marines aboard two US Navy warships that were patrolling the Arabian Sea.
