On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the US would help guide ships stranded due to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump announced that the mission, called “Project Freedom”, would begin on Monday and would involve ships belonging to “neutral and innocent bystanders.”
“The aim of the cruise movement is simply to liberate people, companies and countries who have done nothing wrong – they are victims of circumstance.” Trump wrote.
“This is a humanitarian gesture on behalf of the United States, the Middle Eastern countries, especially the country of Iran,” he said.
How many ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz so far?
Two US-flagged merchant ships successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday in cooperation with a Navy guided missile destroyer, according to the US military.
Iran denied that any such crossing had taken place, but Danish containership operator Maersk said its Alliance Fairfax, a US-flagged ship, exited the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday with the help of US forces.
The commander of US forces in the area also said his fleet had destroyed six small Iranian boats, as well as cruise missiles and drones.
However, Iranian media quoted a military commander as saying that US forces targeted civilian boats, killing five.
On Monday, Iran also claimed it fired on a US warship approaching the Strait of Hormuz, forcing it to turn back.