A new chapter in the war in the Middle East was opened on Sunday night, when Donald Trump announced “Operation Freedom” for the Strait of Hormuz, stating that the United States would take on the role of guiding ships from third countries out of the strait.

Just hours after the US president’s announcement, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) outlined the forces involved in the operation, referring to “guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, as well as 15,000 military personnel.”

Iran responded by warning that “any American involvement in the new naval regime in the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire,” as stated on X by Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee.

What is “Operation Freedom”

In his announcement, Donald Trump explained that he made the decision after many countries not involved in the Middle East conflict approached the US requesting assistance in helping their ships exit the Strait of Hormuz. He described these vessels as “neutral and innocent observers” with no connection to hostilities.

According to him, Washington is committed to safely guiding these ships out of restricted maritime zones so they can resume normal commercial operations. He added that the initiative has a purely humanitarian character, noting that many vessels are facing shortages of food and basic supplies, worsening living conditions for their crews.

According to two US officials cited by Axios, the new operation may not necessarily involve direct escort by US Navy ships. One official said naval forces would remain “in the area” in case intervention is needed to prevent Iranian forces from attacking commercial vessels crossing the strait. The same sources added that the US Navy will provide commercial ships with information on optimal sea routes, particularly those not mined by Iranian forces.

The new mechanism is essentially a coordination effort for navigation through the strait, involving countries, insurance companies, and shipping organizations, according to senior US officials cited by the Wall Street Journal. For now, it does not include US warships escorting vessels.

However, European diplomats and shipowners recalled previous similar efforts by the US president that failed, including calls on NATO allies to send warships—requests that were not heeded. Without naval escorts, the initiative is unlikely to significantly change the situation in the strait, they told the Wall Street Journal.

An operation aimed at reassurance

Jennifer Parker, a former officer of the Royal Australian Navy, told CNN that she expects the US military to increase its presence in and above the Strait of Hormuz to reassure commercial vessels attempting to pass through.

“This appears to be an operation… that is less about directly protecting one or two ships and more about trying to change the overall environment in the strait so that vessels ‘feel safe,’” Parker said.

This could involve some US Navy ships in the area and a range of aircraft flying overhead, capable of detecting and neutralizing small boats or vessels attempting to attack commercial shipping, she added.