Trump Orders Navy to 'Guide' Ships Through Hormuz Monday
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- Trump announced "Project Freedom," directing the U.S. Navy to begin guiding foreign commercial ships out of the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday and warned that any Iranian interference "will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully."
- Two U.S. officials said the Navy will be "in the vicinity" of the strait rather than directly escorting commercial vessels, positioning to prevent Iranian attacks on shipping.
- The Navy will provide commercial ships with information on the safest maritime lanes, particularly routes not mined by Iran's military, according to the same officials.
- Trump framed the mission as "humanitarian," saying uninvolved countries had requested help freeing ships whose crews are running low on food and dealing with health and sanitary problems.
- The Trump administration sent Iran another amended draft agreement on Sunday in response to Tehran's latest proposal, with Trump calling related talks "very positive."
- Iranian officials did not immediately respond publicly to Trump's announcement, and it was unclear whether the new initiative was coordinated with Tehran in any way.
Why it matters: This marks the most significant U.S. step to reopen the strait since Iran shut it down early in the war, combining a calibrated military posture with active diplomacy. The "in the vicinity" positioning — rather than direct escort — limits the trigger for escalation while still challenging Iran's control of one of the world's most critical oil chokepoints.
