Strait of Hormuz
Trump announces “Project Freedom” – Iran reacts sharply
May 4, 2026 – 3:59 amReading time: 3 minutes
Starting today, the USA wants to help ships that are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the Iran war. Iran warns against actions in the important strait.
Iran has warned the US against actions in the Strait of Hormuz. Any American interference in the Strait will be viewed as a violation of the ceasefire, wrote the head of the security commission in parliament, Ebrahim Azizi, on Platform X. The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf are not controlled by “Trump’s delusional contributions.”
Previously, US President Trump announced that he would launch an initiative called “Project Feriheit” starting this Monday to help ships stuck due to the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. The US military says it supports the operation announced for Monday.
“For the good of Iran, the Middle East and the United States, we have told these countries that we will safely guide their ships out of these blocked waterways” so that they can continue their business unhindered, Trump wrote. These are ships from regions of the world that are not involved in the Iran war. “They are merely neutral and innocent third parties!” If the initiative were to be hindered, Trump threatened to take tough action.
Trump also spoke of a “humanitarian gesture.” Many of the ships are running out of food and other items necessary for healthy and hygienic conditions on board, Trump wrote. “I am fully aware that my representatives are having very positive discussions with Iran and that these discussions could lead to something very positive for everyone,” Trump continued.
In the negotiations with Tehran, the USA has long been pushing for an opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has largely blocked – but so far without success: shipping in the strait, which is central to global oil trade, remains severely restricted. After the war started by the USA and Israel, Iran has largely brought shipping there to a standstill with attacks and threats. The USA, for its part, has imposed a naval blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports.
There is currently a ceasefire in the Iran war, but so far there is no breakthrough in sight in diplomatic efforts. Less than 24 hours before his announcement, Trump had expressed skepticism about the negotiations with Iran.
Iran recently submitted a new proposal in efforts to end the war. In an initial reaction announcing that he was considering the Iranian proposal, Trump said: He could not imagine that the Iranian proposal would be acceptable. At the same time, the US President warned that there was still the possibility of attacking Iran again if, in his eyes, the Iranian leadership behaved incorrectly.
