By María Paula Mijares Torres May 3, 2026 (Bloomberg) – President Donald Trump announced that the US will start helping some neutral ships stuck in the Persian Gulf navigate through the Strait of Hormuz beginni...
By María Paula Mijares Torres
May 3, 2026 (Bloomberg) – President Donald Trump announced that the US will start helping some neutral ships stuck in the Persian Gulf navigate through the Strait of Hormuz beginning Monday.
In a social media post on Sunday, Trump stated, “The movement of ships is simply to assist people, companies, and countries that have done nothing wrong — they are victims of circumstances.” He added, “If this humanitarian effort is disrupted in any way, we will have to respond forcefully.”
While the post did not detail the specific actions the US would take to assist the ships, US Central Command confirmed that it would offer military support to reopen commercial shipping routes through Hormuz, including deploying guided-missile destroyers, aircraft, and drones.
According to the Wall Street Journal, this initiative does not currently involve US Navy escorts. Instead, it will focus on coordinating with countries, insurance companies, and shipping organizations.
“Our support for this defensive mission is vital for regional security and the global economy while we continue the naval blockade,” stated Admiral Brad Cooper, head of Central Command, in a news release.
Trump mentioned that US representatives are engaged in “very positive discussions” with Iran, which may lead to favorable outcomes, but he did not provide further details.
Previously, Trump indicated that Iran’s recent peace proposal might not meet his expectations, as efforts to resolve the conflict have yet to show success.
Iran announced on Sunday that it is evaluating the US response to its recent 14-point plan, according to a foreign ministry spokesman on Iranian TV.
In his announcement regarding the Hormuz initiative, Trump explained that the ships included in this program—referred to as “Project Freedom”—have large crews that are running low on food and other essential supplies while awaiting safe passage through the strait. He mentioned that several countries have requested the US to help in freeing their stranded ships.
“In all circumstances, they stated that they will not return until the area is safe for navigation and other activities,” Trump wrote.
Currently, hundreds of tankers, bulk carriers, and cargo ships remain stuck in the Gulf, and several countries in the region have halted significant oil production due to a lack of space to store new supplies.
Energy prices have surged because of the blockage in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a crucial waterway south of Iran that typically sees about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flow through it. This situation has raised concerns in the White House that Republicans may face a major setback in the upcoming Midterm elections as Americans deal with rising gasoline prices.
The Strait of Hormuz is central to the ongoing stalemate. Following Iran’s effective closure of the strait, the US established a naval blockade on Iranian ports to pressure its economy and cut off oil exports.