U.S. President Donald Trump launched a third-country vessel rescue operation, dubbed "Project Freedom," as a decisive move to break Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran strongly pushed back, calling it a "violation of the ceasefire agreement," and mounted a counterstrike. Tensions are again mounting in the strait, with a vessel operated by a Korean shipping company and a United Arab Emirates (UAE) ship coming under attack.
On Wednesday local time, Trump said about 20,000 crew members aboard roughly 2,000 oil tankers and cargo ships anchored in the Persian Gulf were facing shortages of daily necessities, and that Washington would help them exit the strait starting Thursday. According to The Wall Street Journal, senior U.S. government officials, apparently wary of a military clash with Iran, said the operation is "a procedure in which countries, insurers, and shipping organizations coordinate the passage of vessels through the strait," adding that "escort by U.S. warships is not included at this stage." The presidential office in Seoul said it "hopes the global maritime logistics network will normalize swiftly and is carefully watching President Trump's remarks in that context."
While Trump emphasized the humanitarian dimension, the move is seen as an attempt to neutralize Iran's blockade and seize the initiative in negotiations. The U.S. Central Command said on social media that it was deploying "a guided-missile destroyer, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 troops" in support. Trump also hinted at the possible use of force, saying, "If this humanitarian procedure is obstructed, we will respond strongly."
Iran did not back down. Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, pushed back on X (formerly Twitter), saying "any U.S. intervention in the new maritime regime will be considered a violation of the ceasefire."
Iran's state-run Fars news agency reported that on Thursday, a U.S. Navy escort ship attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz was hit by two missiles fired by Iranian forces in the Gulf of Oman and retreated. Iran also claimed the U.S. warship had violated its navigation and passage rules while trying to cross the strait in waters off Jask, in southeastern Iran. Jask is a port city adjacent to the Gulf of Oman on the eastern side of the strait.
In response, the U.S. Central Command dismissed the claim on X, saying "no U.S. Navy warship was struck," and countered that it was "tightening the maritime blockade on Iranian ports." The command said that, on the contrary, two U.S. merchant ships passed safely through the Strait of Hormuz under U.S. military escort.
Still, observers say the Trump administration's ship rescue gamble is instead raising the likelihood of armed conflict. The UAE's Foreign Ministry said a tanker belonging to state oil company ADNOC was attacked by two Iranian drones while passing through the Strait of Hormuz. It strongly condemned Iran, saying "this attack violates U.N. Security Council Resolution 2817, which affirmed freedom of navigation."
Meanwhile, the South Korean government urgently began verifying intelligence that a cargo ship operated by a Korean shipping company, which had been inside the Strait of Hormuz, had also been hit. According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, an explosion occurred on the port side of the engine room of the vessel at around 8:40 p.m. while it was anchored in waters off Umm al-Quwain port, inside the strait. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "We are checking whether our vessel was struck," adding that "an initial confirmation indicates there were no casualties among Korean nationals." The ship believed to have been attacked was carrying a total of 24 crew members, six of whom were Korean nationals.
If Iran continues to push back strongly, the possibility of an escalating clash with U.S. forces cannot be ruled out. U.S. outlet Axios, citing a White House official, reported that the rules of engagement have been changed so that U.S. forces can respond to immediate threats against vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz by attacking Iranian fast attack boats or missile bases.
