What is Operation Project Freedom?
US President Donald Trump announced on Monday, May 4, nearly a month after the ceasefire agreement between the United States, Israel, and Iran, the launch of a military operation called “Project Freedom,” aimed at restoring the flow of ships blocked in the Strait of Hormuz. He specified that this measure would only affect boats linked to countries not involved in the war in Iran.
“For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have informed these countries that we would guide their ships safely through these waterways,” wrote the White House tenant on his Truth Social platform.
On the other hand, the Iranian army, through General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, chief of the Islamic Republic’s armed forces command, threatened to strike any ship trying to pass through this strategic maritime strait. “We warn foreign armed forces, especially the army of the American aggressor. We will respond to any attempt to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz,” he declared, as reported by the Financial Times.
SOURCES: “THE GUARDIAN,” “THE WALL STREET JOURNAL”
This risky move by Washington would be the result of the Republican’s impatience to conclude an agreement with Iran, according to several high-ranking sources anonymously cited by Axios. “The president wants something to happen. He can’t stand waiting. He wants to put pressure on them. He wants to get an agreement,” assured one of them on the American site.
Iranian officials claim to have hit a US military ship
A few hours after the announcement of the start of the American operation, the Revolutionary Guards announced that they had hit an American ship that ignored their warnings. “Two missiles hit an American warship near the Jask Strait,” wrote the Iranian site in exile Iran International, citing the official agency Fars.
This claim was immediately denied by the US Central Command (Centcom). “No U.S. Navy ship was hit. The US military is part of Operation Project Freedom and enforces the naval blockade of Iranian ports,” says a statement from the joint command.
The Iranian navy also fired missiles on Monday as a warning against US military ships entering the Strait of Hormuz.
Two ships escorted out of the strait by the US Navy
During the day, Centcom announced on X that two American commercial ships had been escorted out of the Strait of Hormuz. The two boats “continue on their way safely,” said the US military.
“The uneventful passage of the strait comes a day after Trump’s promise to have ships pass through this maritime route that Iran is trying to control,” noted CNN in its live coverage.
A South Korean ship catches fire following an “explosion”
“A cargo ship flying the Panamanian flag and operated by a South Korean maritime company caught fire following an explosion while anchored in the Strait of Hormuz,” reports The Korea Herald. The ship, identified as the HMM Namu, has 24 crew members on board, including six South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals. No casualties have been reported so far, according to Seoul.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries clarified that the explosion occurred on the starboard side of the engine room. The causes of this incident have not been disclosed by South Korean authorities, nor by Iran or the United States.
Trump claims that the US destroyed seven Iranian vessels
In the evening, Donald Trump claimed in a post on Truth Social cited by the New York Times that the US military had destroyed “seven small boats” belonging to the Iranian navy.
The White House tenant added that “except for the South Korean ship, no other vessel has been damaged while going through the strait so far.” In his message, the Republican suggests that “it may be time for South Korea to join the mission” to restore traffic in the strait.
An Iranian ship boarded and its crew evacuated
The Qatari website Al-Jazeera reports that the US Navy boarded an Iranian ship, the MV Touska, which “did not comply” with its instructions. The 22 crew members “were transferred to Pakistan, and fifteen of them were then repatriated to Iran,” added the pan-Arab site.
This mediation, confirmed in a statement by a spokesperson for the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was described as a “sign of goodwill from the United States.” “The Iranian ship will also be towed to Pakistani territorial waters before being returned to its owners after necessary repairs,” the ministry said.
According to the Financial Times, a total of “1,000 merchant ships and about 20,000 sailors have been stranded in the Gulf since the start of the conflict.”
The US military modifies its rules of engagement
In a statement, the US military command for the Middle East clarified that Operation Project Freedom would involve missile-carrying destroyers, over a hundred aircraft, and 15,000 soldiers.
According to Axios, the US military has also modified its rules of engagement. “According to a US official, the rules of engagement that govern the use of force by the US military in the region have been modified. The military is now authorized to fire at any immediate threat impeding ships crossing the strait, such as fast boats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or Iranian missile positions,” the statement read.
/2026/05/04/69f82189331f7685394332.jpg "Donald Trump launches operation to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, Iran warns against any American interference")
