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Operation Project Freedom

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Operation Project Freedom
Part of the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
Location
Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman
Planned byUS Central Command
ObjectiveMilitary escort of merchant vessels going through the strait
Date4–5 May 2026 (1 day)
OutcomeTemporarily halted
LossesSeven Iranian boats sunk
French CMA CGM ship hit[1]

Operation Project Freedom is a United States military operation launched on 4 May 2026 to escort merchant ships, in response to Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.[a] The operation was temporarily paused on 5 May. It was declared the second stage of the Iran war, following the end of Operation Epic Fury.[12]

Background and preparation

During the 2026 Iran war and following the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, in March 2026, the U.S. dropped 5,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on hardened Iranian anti-ship cruise missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz.[13][14] U.S. forces also sank 16 Iranian minelayers as Iran was mining the Strait of Hormuz.[15][16][17] Over 150 warships across 16 classes of the Iranian navy were destroyed as well as every Iran submarine was also sunk as the 2026 Iran war ceasefire took hold.[18] In April 2026, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. military destroyed 158 Iranian naval vessels, asserting the Iranian navy was "annihilated" and lying at the bottom of the sea. Trump stated that 28 mine-dropping vessels were sunk, with only a few small, fast-attack boats remaining.[19][20][21][22]

Initial escorts

An oil tanker was hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz after Trump announced Operation Project Freedom.[23] Iran said that it launched missiles towards a US warship to stop it entering the strait and two missiles had struck a US navy destroyer.[24] The U.S. denied Iranian missiles hit a military vessel during the effort to reopen Strait of Hormuz, and also said that two American-flagged merchant ships had “successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz” and that Navy guided-missile destroyers in the Persian Gulf were helping to restore commercial shipping traffic.[25][26]

According to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the operation aims to save 23,000 civilians from 87 countries stranded in the Persian Gulf.[12]

Iran targeted a UAE tanker in Strait of Hormuz as U.S. began Operation Project Freedom.[27]

Danish shipping company Maersk confirmed that a vessel belonging to one of its subsidiaries crossed the Strait of Hormuz with U.S. military escort.[28]

The U.S. sank seven small Iranian boats while Iran launched attacks on UAE and ships in Strait of Hormuz.[29]

On 5 May, around four hours before Trump announced the pause, a ship belonging to a French company was targeted and hit, injuring the crew and damaging the vessel.[30] The ship was trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz without Iranian approval.[31]

Pause

On 5 May, Trump announced the operation had been temporarily paused by "mutual agreement", citing progress during ongoing negotiations with Iran for a peace agreement.[32] This came hours after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to reporters regarding the operation.[30] Hegseth described Project Freedom as "defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration," distinguishing it from the broader Operation Epic Fury in Iran.[33]

The New York Times reported that there was no evidence of an emerging deal with Iran, and that the real reason Trump had paused the operation was that Saudi Arabia had denied the United States access to its airspace and US bases on its territory, because it felt Operation Project Freedom was not well thought-out and could result in an escalation with Iran.[34] A phone call between Trumpp and the Saudi crown prince reportedly failed to solve the disagreement.[35]

Fighting during temporary pause

Main article: 7 May 2026 United States strikes on Iran

On May 7, U.S. and Iran traded fire in Strait of Hormuz as three U.S. Navy destroyers transited the strait.[36] Iranian bases in Bandar Abbas and Qeshm were struct during the exchange, and in response Saudi Arabia and Kuwait temporarily restricted US access to US bases in their territory.[37][38]

Impact

According to the Lloyd's List, ship owners and insurers said the US operation had not given them "sufficient clarity or credible protection to justify resuming transits" through the Strait, resulting in the continuation of a drop in transit volume.[39]

Reactions

Iran

Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Azizi said any US interference in the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the ceasefire.[40]

Iranian Armed Forces warned the US Navy against entering the Strait of Hormuz.[23]

Gulf Cooperation Council

The Gulf Cooperation Council and UAE condemned Iran.[41][42]

South Korea

On May 4, after the HMM Namu—a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship owned by HMM—was struck by an explosion and caught fire while anchored off the UAE, Trump blamed Iran without evidence and urged South Korea to join the operation; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also called on South Korea to protect its own ship in the Strait. In response, the South Korean government announced that it was "reviewing" its potential participation in Operation Project Freedom.[43][44][45] As of May 6, 2026, 26 South Korean ships are still stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.[46]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Attributed to multiple sources:[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]

References

  1. ^ "Strait of Hormuz: What happened to Donald Trump's 'Project Freedom' plan?".
  2. ^ "Live Updates: Bulk carrier reports 1st attack in weeks near Strait of Hormuz". www.cbsnews.com. May 3, 2026.
  3. ^ "Videos". LiveNOW from FOX | Breaking News, Live Events.
  4. ^ "Trump Announces 'Project Freedom' to Escort Neutral Ships Out of Strait of Hormuz". Trump Announces ‘Project Freedom’ to Escort Neutral Ships Out of Strait of Hormuz. May 3, 2026.
  5. ^ Staff, Al Jazeera. "Trump says US will 'help free up' ships stuck in Hormuz Strait". Al Jazeera.
  6. ^ "Donald Trump says US to begin escorting ships through Strait of Hormuz | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. May 3, 2026.
  7. ^ Schroppe, Carter (May 3, 2026). "Trump: 'Project Freedom' will help escort 'neutral' ships out of Strait".
  8. ^ "Trump Announces 'Project Freedom' to Escort Neutral Ships Through Strait of Hormuz | VINnews". May 3, 2026.
  9. ^ "Trump says US to help free up ships in Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning". Internazionale. Reuters. 3 May 2026. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  10. ^ Abbas, Zafar (May 4, 2026). "Trump unveils Project Freedom to escort stranded ships through Hormuz". India Today.
  11. ^ Daily, The Chosun (May 3, 2026). "Trump Launches 'Project Freedom' to Extract Strait of Hormuz Ships". The Chosun Daily.
  12. ^ a b "Project Freedom paused and Operation Epic Fury 'over': Trump's 48 hours of Iran chaos". The Independent. 2026-05-06. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
  13. ^ Sorace, Stephen (March 18, 2026). "US bunker-buster bombs hammer Iranian anti-ship missile sites near Strait of Hormuz". Fox News.
  14. ^ Newdick, Thomas; Trevithick, Joseph (March 18, 2026). "U.S. Used Its New 5,000-Pound Bunker Busters To Hit Iranian Anti-Ship Missile Sites: Reports".
  15. ^ "Top US general: US military striking Iranian mine-laying vessels". Baird Maritime / Work Boat World. March 10, 2026.
  16. ^ Jie, Lim Hui (March 11, 2026). "U.S. forces sink 16 Iranian minelayers as reports say Tehran is mining the Strait of Hormuz". CNBC.
  17. ^ ALLEN, MINA (March 10, 2026). "US forces destroy 16 Iranian mine-laying boats near Strait of Hormuz". KATV.
  18. ^ House, The White (April 8, 2026). "Peace Through Strength: Operation Epic Fury Crushes Iranian Threat as Ceasefire Takes Hold".
  19. ^ "Trump's Iran Blockade Sees "Elimination" Warning, "Pure Propaganda" Retort". www.ndtv.com.
  20. ^ "US destroys 158 Iranian ships, Trump claims". TASS.
  21. ^ "i24NEWS". www.i24news.tv.
  22. ^ "'We're now clearing out Strait of Hormuz': Trump". Türkiye Today.
  23. ^ a b Fulton, Adam (May 4, 2026). "Middle East crisis live: tanker hit by 'projectiles' in strait of Hormuz after Trump says US will help 'guide' stranded ships". the Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
  24. ^ "Iran says it fired missiles at US warship to prevent it entering Hormuz". Al Jazeera. 4 May 2026. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  25. ^ "US destroys six Iranian small boats, shoots down missiles, drones, admiral says". The Economic Times. May 4, 2026.
  26. ^ Schreck, Adam; Finley, Ben; Metz, Sam (May 4, 2026). "US denies Iran struck a military vessel during new effort to reopen Strait of Hormuz". AP News.
  27. ^ "Iran targets UAE tanker in Strait of Hormuz as U.S. begins Project Freedom to guide vessels". CBS.
  28. ^ "Danish shipping giant Maersk: Subsidiary vessel crossed Hormuz with US escort". Ynetglobal. May 4, 2026 – via www.ynetnews.com.
  29. ^ "Live Updates: U.S. sinks 7 small Iranian boats as Iran launches attacks on UAE and ships in Strait of Hormuz". www.cbsnews.com. May 4, 2026.
  30. ^ a b "Strait of Hormuz: What happened to Donald Trump's 'Project Freedom' plan?". www.bbc.com. May 6, 2026.
  31. ^ "CMA CGM ship hit off Iran as Trump stops 'Project Freedom'".
  32. ^ "Iran war live: Trump says Hormuz operation paused amid US, Tehran talks". Al Jazeera. 6 May 2026. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  33. ^ Wendler, Jacob (2026-05-05). "Trump announces a pause on US escorts of ships in Strait of Hormuz". POLITICO. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  34. ^ Michael Crowley; Eric Schmitt; Vivian Nereim (May 7, 2026). "Trump Reversed Hormuz Plan After Saudis Denied Airspace Access". The New York Times.
  35. ^ "Trump's abrupt U-turn on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz came after backlash from allies". NBC News. 6 May 2026.
  36. ^ Breuninger, Kevin (May 7, 2026). "U.S. and Iran trade fire in Strait of Hormuz; each claims other shot first". CNBC.
  37. ^ "US carries out strikes on Iran, Strait of Hormuz, in retaliation for Tehran targeting US destroyers". The Jerusalem Post. May 8, 2026. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  38. ^ "Saudi Arabia, Kuwait lift restrictions on US military access to bases and airspace, WSJ says". Reuters. May 7, 2026. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  39. ^ Horton, Jake; Brown, Paul. "Strait of Hormuz: What happened to Donald Trump's 'Project Freedom' plan?". www.bbc.com. BBC Verify.
  40. ^ Habib, Heba; Kupemba, Danai Nesta. "Tehran warns Trump's Hormuz mission violates ceasefire". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on May 4, 2026.
  41. ^ "GCC condemns Iranian attack on UAE oil tanker". Middle East Eye. 4 May 2026. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  42. ^ "UAE condemns Iranian attack on tanker in Strait of Hormuz". Yahoo News. May 4, 2026.
  43. ^ Kwon, Soon-wan (5 May 2026). "U.S. President Donald Trump Urges South Korea to Join Gulf Military Operation". The Chosun Daily. Retrieved 2026-05-05.
  44. ^ Rai, Arpan (2026-05-05). "South Korea says it could join Trump's 'Project Freedom' after tanker incident in Strait of Hormuz". The Independent. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
  45. ^ Lee, Tae-kyu (2026-05-05). "US defense chief urges South Korea to join Project Freedom". Seoul Economic Daily. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
  46. ^ Oh Seok-min; Kim Seung-yeon (May 6, 2026). "(News Focus) S. Korea's dilemma over role in Strait of Hormuz deepens with ship blast, U.S. pressure". Yonhap News Agency. Seoul. Retrieved May 6, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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