Uncertainty prevailed at the end of the first day of “Project Freedom”, announced by US President Donald Trump, with no clear signs that the operation had achieved its declared aim of “liberating” ships stranded in the vital Strait of Hormuz. According to estimates, around 2,000 vessels have been stuck since the start of the American-Israeli war on Iran 66 days ago.
As observers questioned the usefulness of the new operation launched by Trump on Monday morning, describing its framework as “unclear”, the United States and Iran exchanged threats of military attacks. Tehran also said it had fired warning shots at a warship attempting to cross the strait, a claim denied by Washington.
Below is a breakdown of the first day of the project, amid renewed fears of a wider return to military escalation.
Trump: We Sank Seven Iranian Boats
Commenting on the project on Monday evening, Trump said American forces had sunk seven Iranian boats, adding that they were “all they had left”.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Iran had targeted some countries not involved in “Project Freedom”. He added that no damage had been recorded during the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, except for a South Korean vessel. “Maybe it is time for South Korea to join the mission,” he wrote.
In remarks to Fox News, Trump threatened that Iran would be “wiped off the face of the earth” if it attacked American ships carrying out “Project Freedom”. He also confirmed that the US military build-up in the region is continuing.
US Military: We Redirected 50 Ships
US Central Command said on X that, so far during the day, it had redirected 50 commercial vessels in the strait “to ensure compliance with the blockade on Iranian ports”.
CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper said the ships currently in the Gulf represent 87 countries around the world. He added that, over the past 12 hours, communication had taken place with dozens of vessels and shipping companies to encourage traffic through Hormuz.
How Many Ships Crossed Hormuz?
Accounts differed over the number of ships that crossed the strait, which remains the strongest indicator of whether the United States has been able to impose and operate the project.
Two American Ships
US Central Command said two US-flagged commercial vessels had successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz and were safely heading to their destinations.
Only One Tanker
However, data from MarineTraffic showed that only one tanker, a small sanctioned liquefied petroleum gas carrier, along with a small number of cargo vessels and one cable-laying ship, crossed the strait into the Gulf of Oman on Monday.
According to Reuters, no other tankers or commercial vessels were seen lining up to cross.
Iran Says No Ships Passed
Despite the limited number of vessels announced as having crossed, Iran denied that any ships had passed through, rejecting what it described as “claims by American officials”.
Iranian television quoted the public relations office of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as saying that “no commercial ships or oil tankers have passed through Hormuz in recent hours”, describing the American statements as “baseless and completely false”.
The IRGC warned that any further maritime movements that “contradict the declared principles of the Iranian Guards” would face what it called “serious risks”, threatening that non-compliant ships would be stopped by force.
Shipping Industry Fear Remains High
German shipping group Hapag-Lloyd said passage for its vessels remains impossible due to the lack of clarity around safe transit procedures.
The Wall Street Journal quoted a European shipowner with four vessels stuck in the Gulf as saying: “There must be a final ceasefire before our ships start moving.”
The Baltic and International Maritime Council said the shipping sector had not received any guidance about the American operation or its objectives, while the overall security situation remained unchanged.
Jakob Larsen, BIMCO’s chief safety and security officer, said that without Iran agreeing to allow commercial vessels to safely transit through the Strait of Hormuz, it is currently unclear whether the Iranian threat to ships can be reduced.
The US-led Joint Maritime Information Centre said the maritime security threat level in the strait remains “critical”. It advised seafarers to consider using a route through Omani territorial waters south of the traffic separation scheme.
How Many Ships Are Stranded Around Hormuz?
With Trump describing the project as part of a “humanitarian initiative” aimed at helping only “neutral countries”, meaning those that did not participate in the American-Israeli war on Iran, the issue of stranded ships around the strait and the Gulf of Oman has returned to the foreground.
For more than two months, these vessels have been carrying over 20,000 sailors enduring difficult living and psychological conditions, unable to leave or sail to their original destinations.
This exceptional situation comes amid conditions that the United Nations has said the world has not witnessed since the Second World War.
The reality of the strait is stark: only 342 vessels have crossed since the beginning of the war, after the strait had previously seen around 100 ships pass daily, according to ship-tracking data from Kpler and the International Maritime Organisation.
Mutual Escalation on Day One
The first day included reciprocal escalation between Washington and Tehran in the strait, alongside reports of an attack on an Emirati tanker and an explosion on a vessel linked to South Korea.
US Destroyers Enter the Gulf
US Central Command said in a statement that several guided-missile destroyers had entered the Gulf as part of a mission to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz under “Project Freedom”.
Iranian Warning Missiles
Iran’s navy said it fired “warning” missiles near American warships in Hormuz while they were sailing through the strait on Monday, according to Iranian state television.
The report said the navy had detected American destroyers in the strait and fired “warning” projectiles at them. It added that “after the American-Zionist destroyers ignored the initial warning, the navy fired a warning shot by launching cruise missiles, shells, and combat drones near the aggressive enemy vessels”.
CENTCOM denied that any US Navy ships had been hit.
Emirati Tanker Targeted
The United Arab Emirates condemned an Iranian attack that targeted a tanker belonging to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company with two drones while it was crossing Hormuz.
Explosion on South Korean-Linked Ship
CNN quoted a spokesperson for South Korea’s Foreign Ministry as saying that an explosion and fire occurred on Monday aboard a vessel linked to South Korea in the Strait of Hormuz.
The official said the cause of the explosion and fire was not yet known, adding that the government is verifying the details of the damage and will take the necessary measures to ensure the safety of its ships and crews in the strait.
Threats and Counter-Threats
An Axios reporter quoted a US official as saying that American forces in the region had been authorised to attack what the official described as “direct threats” to vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz, such as IRGC boats or Iranian missile sites.
According to Axios, a source close to the US president did not rule out the possibility that the operation to help ships cross Hormuz could lead to confrontation with Iran. The source added that the “humanitarian mission” to free ships trapped in the strait means that “if the Iranians do anything, they will be the aggressors”, creating what Washington could frame as a legitimate pretext to resume the war.
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency quoted an informed source as saying that Iran is fully prepared for any scenario, adding that “the Americans know Iran will not allow Trump’s provocations and American forces”.
According to the Iranian source, no movement in the Strait of Hormuz will be allowed without permission from Iran’s armed forces. The source added that “all ships must learn from the experience of the 40-day war and not pay the price for American foolishness”.
When announcing “Project Freedom”, Trump wrote on Truth Social that “if this humanitarian operation is obstructed, that interference, unfortunately, will have to be dealt with forcefully”.
In response, Ebrahim Azizi, head of the National Security Committee in the Iranian parliament, said any American interference in the order of the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the ceasefire in place since 8 April.
He added that the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf waters will not be managed through what he described as the “delusional” posts of the American president.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry had earlier said that countries and shipowners are well aware that they must coordinate with Iran to maintain safe passage through Hormuz.
What Does Trump’s Project Reveal?
With no clear indicators that “Project Freedom” will achieve its objectives, analysts say the initiative reflects a shrinking of the United States’ war aims against Iran.
Jonathan Hackett, a retired US Marine Corps special operations specialist and former counterintelligence agent, said:
“At the start of this conflict, the stated objectives were regime change and dismantling Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities. But those objectives have now shifted toward an economic outcome centred on the Strait of Hormuz.”
Hackett warned in comments to Al Jazeera that any confrontation at sea could escalate quickly. He said that if clashes begin between the two sides, the United States will not merely escort ships, but defend them. This creates new risk calculations, especially for insurance companies.
Hackett also questioned whether the United States has sufficient resources, saying:
“There are only around 12 naval vessels capable of protecting maritime navigation. Before the war, more than 100 ships crossed the strait daily. Simply put, this cannot be achieved.”
Analysts believe the initiative may be aimed at stabilising global markets. Despite the ceasefire, the Iranian blockade and American maritime pressure have pushed oil prices higher, creating economic and political pressure inside the United States.
Tehran and Washington have exchanged proposals through Pakistan as mediator to end the war since the ceasefire came into effect less than a month ago, but they have failed to reach a broader agreement.
Iran is demanding a permanent end to military action, while Trump insists that Tehran must first lift what he describes as its blockade of the strait, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas exports pass. The US president also continues to insist that Iran’s nuclear programme remains a “red line”.
Both sides have continued intercepting and targeting ships amid an ongoing maritime confrontation in the Gulf. This has raised, and continues to raise, serious questions about how Tehran and Washington can reopen the Strait of Hormuz and reach an agreement to end the war.
