Trump says 'Project Freedom' to help ships trapped in the Strait of Hormuz will begin on the 4th

\r\n[Financial News] President of the United States Donald Trump said he will launch an operation from the morning of the 4th, local time, to help third-country ships trapped in the Strait of Hormuz safely leave the area.
On the 3rd, Trump claimed on Truth Social that "countries around the world have asked the United States whether it can help free their ships trapped in the Strait of Hormuz." He added that "these countries and ships are largely unrelated to the violent conflict now unfolding in the Middle East" and that "they are simply neutral and innocent bystanders."
Trump said he told them that the ships would be safely escorted out of this restricted waterway, the Strait of Hormuz, so they could continue doing business freely and smoothly for Iran, the Middle East, and the United States. He also said, "Through my representatives, I instructed them to tell those countries that we will do our utmost to safely remove their ships and crews from the strait."
Trump then announced that this process, called "Project Freedom," would begin Monday morning, Middle East time. He stressed that "this ship movement is only meant to 'free' people, companies, and countries that have done nothing wrong. They are victims of the situation."
Regarding the project, Trump said, "The United States delegation is having very positive discussions with Iran," adding that he believes "these talks could lead to very positive outcomes for everyone."
Trump warned that this is "a way to show the goodwill of the parties that have fought fiercely over the past few months" and that "if this humanitarian process is obstructed in any way, I regret it, but we will have no choice but to respond strongly." The remark is being interpreted as meaning that if the Iranian Armed Forces, which control the Strait of Hormuz, attack during the operation, the United States Armed Forces would retaliate, even at the risk of reigniting clashes between the two countries, which are currently under a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, The Associated Press (AP) reported that "a bulk carrier in the Strait of Hormuz was attacked on the day, apparently by Iran, and there have been at least 24 attacks on civilian ships in and around the strait during the Iran war." It is estimated that about 2,000 ships are currently trapped, stranded, or unable to move in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters, leaving some 20,000 crew members facing shortages of food and drinking water on board.
Trump's announcement is seen as a humanitarian measure, but also as another bold move in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran's blockade and the United States' counter-blockade are colliding and turning the waterway into a decisive front in the Iran war. For the United States, the aim appears to be to stabilize global oil prices by allowing oil tankers and other vessels effectively held hostage by Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to leave, while also weakening, at least in part, Iran's leverage over the waterway.
For Project Freedom to succeed, however, Iran must refrain from harming third-country ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz under U.S. support or escort. From Iran's perspective, allowing the trapped ships to depart could mean handing control of the strait entirely to the United States. If Iran chooses to resist on that basis, the current ceasefire could be at risk of collapse.
whywani@fnnews.com Hong Chaewan Reporter