US President Donald Trump has announced a new military operation. US forces will soon be operating at the Strait of Hormuz.
The US President announced on his social media account some hours ago that he has authorized a new military operation. He portrayed the operation, dubbed “Project Freedom”, as peaceful, explaining that it is meant to escort stranded ships away from the Strait of Hormuz.
Magnitude of Stranded Crew
Several ships are stranded at the Strait of Hormuz, which is under Iran’s jurisdiction.
Iran has blocked US ships and those of its allies from passing merchandise through the waterway. At the same time, the US has forced Iran-friendly ships back to the area after blocking their passage in the high seas.
It is estimated that 20,000 ship crew members are stranded at the Strait of Hormuz. It is also feared that they may soon run out of basic provisions.
According to Trump, who has paused military strikes in the past few weeks, Project Freedom is solely meant to set the stranded ships and people free. After all, those people are innocent, he explained.
Trump Claims Operation is A Friendly Gesture
In his post, President Trump said that the operation is a good gesture by the US to some countries in the Middle East, including Iran. Earlier, he had also noted that the operation would benefit the US as well.
However, President Trump used the word “force” when discussing the prospects of interference. He warned that the US military would use force if anyone tried to interfere with the US-led operation.
The world will have to wait and see how Operation Freedom will proceed. Observers will be curious to see if the US will try to do more than escort the stranded ships.
Last week, China issued a warning to anyone who may attempt to interfere with its ships or merchandise. China told Iran that assets belonging to anyone interfering with Chinese assets should be seized.
US Military View
Commenting on the operation, the US Central Command, CENTCOM, indicated that the US has 15,000 officers, over 100 aircraft, and some guided-missile destroyers ready for Project Freedom.