Roving Periscope: The US launches “Project Freedom” to escort stranded ships through Hormuz

Virendra Pandit

New Delhi: Amid the escalation of military activities in West Asia, and ahead of a likely second round of Iran war, the US has announced “Project Freedom” to escort stranded vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz, the media reported on Monday.

According to some reports, around 2,000 ships remain stranded in the Persian Gulf and are unable to cross through the narrow Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman and then into the Arabian Sea.

The Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for the flow of nearly 20 percent of global crude and gas, has been effectively closed since February 28, when the US and Israel launched the war with Iran.

After the stalled peace talks with Iran, and multiple efforts to reopen the waterway, President Donald Trump said on Sunday the US Navy will start guiding foreign stranded ships to safety through the Strait of Hormuz from Monday and warned Iran that any interference in the process would be dealt with forcefully.

In a post on Truth Socialhe said “Project Freedom” was aimed at helping foreign ships that are locked up in the Strait of Hormuz as “innocent bystanders” and in no way involved in the developments in West Asia.

Trump said several of these ships were running low on food, drinking water and everything else necessary for large-scale crews to stay onboard in a healthy and sanitary manner.

At the same time, the US President said that his representatives were having positive discussions with Iran, which could lead to something “positive for all.”

The US has also imposed an economic blockade targeted at Iran by denying any ships to transit to and from ports of the Persian Gulf nation.

“The Ships movement is merely meant to free up people, companies, and Countries that have done absolutely nothing wrong – They are victims of circumstance. This is a Humanitarian gesture on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern Countries but, in particular, the Country of Iran,” Trump said.

“We have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” he said.

“If, in any way, this humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully,” Trump said.

media outlets axios reported that the US sent another amended draft on Sunday for an agreement to end the war in response to Iranian officials’ latest proposal.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff told cnn that the US was in conversation with Iran to end the war.

The global oil markets have been in turmoil since the war broke out, as crude prices have been ruling high and briefly touched USD 126 per barrel last week.

The US President is also facing pressure from the high gas prices that have shot up to USD 4.45 per gallon in the US, an increase of nearly 50 per cent since the war began on February 28.

The price of Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil, fell less than a per cent on Sunday evening to about USD 107 a barrel, while the West Texas Intermediate crude, the US benchmark, also dipped less than 1 per cent, trading at roughly USD 101 a barrel.