US Central Command said in a social media post on Monday that American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore commercial shipping through the Strait, a vital waterway in the region.
US claims it broke Iran blockade after merchant vessels cross Strait of Hormuz
Announcement marked the first reported US-backed transit through the strategic waterway since Iran imposed a sweeping blockade on Gulf shipping, a move that has disrupted global energy flows and heightened tensions across the region
Two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels crossed through the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers operated in the Gulf, U.S. Central Command said Monday.American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping,” CENTCOM said in a statement.Following Trump’s announcement, U.S. Central Command said it was allocating forces for the ship escort operation. According to the statement, the U.S. military assigned guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, multidomain unmanned platforms and about 15,000 troops to carry out the mission
Perhaps in an attempt to send a message to the Iranians, shortly before the ship escort operation began, footage was released of CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper flying over the strait Sunday in an Apache helicopter.
Trump called the move that began Monday morning a “humanitarian gesture,” stressing that “if, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.” In a post on Truth Social on Sunday night, Trump wrote: “Countries from all over the World, almost all of which are not involved in the Middle Eastern dispute going on so visibly, and violently, for all to see, have asked the United States if we could help free up their Ships, which are locked up in the Strait of Hormuz, on something which they have absolutely nothing to do with — They are merely neutral and innocent bystanders! For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, 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. Again, these are Ships from areas of the World that are not in any way involved with that which is currently taking place in the Middle East.”
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