On Tuesday, the U.S. Central Command denied claims that the U.S. Navy has restarted escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz under the previously suspended “Project Freedom” operation. This statement cont...
On Tuesday, the U.S. Central Command denied claims that the U.S. Navy has restarted escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz under the previously suspended “Project Freedom” operation. This statement contradicted earlier reports from The Wall Street Journal.
CENTCOM stated on X, “CLAIM: Recent media reports say that the U.S. Navy has resumed escorting or assisting commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. FALSE. TRUTH: Project Freedom has not resumed, and U.S. forces are not currently escorting commercial vessels through the Strait.”
The denial was likely aimed at reducing speculation that the U.S. had quietly restarted this operation after news that a Greek supertanker with about two million barrels of oil had recently been guided out of the Persian Gulf by U.S. naval forces.
According to The Wall Street Journal, U.S. military officials indicated that the supertanker’s passage was part of a new effort to assist commercial shipping through this crucial waterway. They reportedly mentioned that the Navy intended to help about a dozen more vessels pass through the Strait in the coming days.
CENTCOM’s denial raises questions about those reports and highlights the ongoing confusion regarding U.S. maritime operations in the Gulf.
Project Freedom was launched in early May as a controlled initiative to assist select commercial vessels through a secure corridor along Oman’s territorial waters, south of the main traffic routes in the Strait.
The operation was initiated after more than two months of severe regional disruption stemming from U.S.-Iran tensions, with Iran largely controlling maritime traffic through Hormuz.
At the time, U.S. officials described the mission as humanitarian and defensive, aimed at helping stranded vessels safely exit the Gulf rather than restoring full freedom of navigation.
Only two confirmed transits took place before President Donald Trump abruptly paused the project on May 5, citing ongoing negotiations with Iran.
Trump stated, “We have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in effect, Project Freedom will be paused for a short time to see if the Agreement can be finalized and signed.”
This suspension occurred despite senior U.S. officials promoting the operation earlier that day as a significant step toward resuming limited commercial traffic through the Strait.
Since then, commercial shipping activity through Hormuz has remained much lower than before the conflict, with ship owners, insurers, and maritime security experts continuing to express concerns about the region's instability.
Concerns in the industry have included risks from missile and drone attacks, unresolved mine threats, the withdrawal of war-risk insurance, electronic disruptions, and the lack of recognized security guarantees for commercial shipping.
The differing messages regarding Project Freedom may further complicate decisions for ship owners who are trying to determine if it is safe to resume normal operations in the Strait.
As of Tuesday, CENTCOM’s stance is clear: the operation is still paused, and the U.S. military is not escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.