A spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that any vessel violating the Islamic Republic’s maritime rules will be stopped by force. The warning, delivered through the state-linked Fars News Agency, serves as a direct challenge to a newly unveiled American initiative designed to break the maritime deadlock in the region.
This comes in immediate response to an announcement from US President Trump, who announced on his Truth Social account Operation Project Freedom. Framing the mission as a humanitarian gesture, Trump stated that the United States would begin guiding neutral commercial vessels safely out of the Strait of Hormuz starting today.
According to the President, these ships, many of which have been stranded for weeks due to a naval blockade and ongoing regional hostilities, are running low on food and essential supplies. He characterized the crews as innocent bystanders caught in a conflict they did not create and insisted that the US move is an act of goodwill intended to free people and companies that are “victims of circumstance”.
Despite the humanitarian framing, the operation carries a heavy military weight. Trump issued a blunt ultimatum alongside the plan, warning that any interference with the process would be dealt with forcefully. This “safe passage” initiative seeks to bypass a new maritime regime announced by Iran, which requires vessels to seek explicit permission and follow strict Iranian regulations to transit the Strait.
Iranian officials, including Ebrahim Azizi of the Parliament’s National Security Committee, have already dismissed Trump’s plan as “delusional” and warned that any American interference in the Strait would be considered a direct violation of the standing ceasefire framework. This fragile standoff will likely keep oil prices elevated due to escalation risks.
