U.S. Launches Project Freedom to Guide Stranded Ships Through Strait of Hormuz as Iran Strikes UAE

Key facts

• Two commercial ships transited the Strait of Hormuz under the U.S. Project Freedom initiative on Monday.
• The UAE said an Iranian drone attack targeted a state-owned energy company vessel; a fourth drone crashed into the sea.
• Iran fired four cruise missiles at UAE territory on Monday; three were intercepted, one landed in the sea.
• A South Korean ship carrying 24 crew members suffered an explosion and fire in the Hormuz strait on Monday; cause under investigation.
• A large cargo ship was attacked by multiple small craft 11 nautical miles west of Sirik, Iran, on Sunday; crew safe.
• Iran’s deputy parliament speaker Ali Nikzad declared: 'We will not step back from the Strait of Hormuz.'
• President Trump told Congress that hostilities with Iran terminated on April 7, 2026, after a ceasefire took effect.
• U.S. Central Command said Project Freedom involves guided-missile destroyers, over 100 aircraft, and 15,000 service members.

Project Freedom Begins as Two Ships Cross the Strait

The United States military announced on Monday that two commercial vessels have safely transited the Strait of Hormuz under Project Freedom, a new initiative ordered by President Donald Trump to restore commercial shipping through the vital waterway. American warships escorted the ships as part of what Trump described as a humanitarian effort to free hundreds of stranded vessels and some 20,000 seafarers who have been trapped since Iran effectively closed the strait on February 28. Trump declared the operation on social media on Sunday, stating that “neutral and innocent” countries had been affected by the war and that the U.S. would “guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways.” He warned that any interference with the humanitarian process would “have to be dealt with forcefully.” Iran denounced the move as a violation of the existing ceasefire.

UAE Reports Drone Attack on State-Owned Tanker and Missile Barrage

The United Arab Emirates said on Monday that a vessel owned by a state energy company was targeted by drones in what it called an “Iranian terrorist attack.” It was unclear whether the ship had sought guidance to transit the strait under Project Freedom. Separately, the UAE Ministry of Defense posted on X that three Iranian cruise missiles were “successfully handled over the country’s territorial waters” while a fourth landed in the sea. This marked the first Iranian attack on the UAE since the U.S.-Iran ceasefire took effect on April 8. During open hostilities, Iran had struck America’s Persian Gulf allies with dozens of missiles and drones. The UAE’s a fire after a drone attack from Iran, which civil defense teams contained. Iran has not commented on the incidents.

South Korean Ship Explodes; Cargo Vessel Attacked by Small Craft

South Korea’s foreign ministry said it was investigating an explosion and fire aboard a South Korean ship carrying 24 crew members in the Hormuz strait on Monday, adding that it would “closely communicate with relevant countries.” It remains unclear whether the vessel was struck by Iranian missiles. The incident followed an attack on Sunday on a large northbound bulk carrier approximately 11 nautical miles west of Sirik, Iran, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. multiple small craft attacked the vessel. All crew members were safe and no environmental impact was reported. No group claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred near one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. Iran has previously used fast-attack boats to harass or seize vessels in and around the strait.

Iran Insists on Control of the Strait as Peace Proposal Falters

Tehran’s latest 14-point peace proposal to the U.S. includes a demand that the Strait of Hormuz be governed and controlled by Iran. Deputy speaker of Iran’s parliament, Ali Nikzad, declared on Sunday: “What is certain is that we will not step back from the Strait of Hormuz, and it will not return to its pre-war state.” The Iranian regime said it received a U.S. response to its proposal, which it claims is aimed at ending the war, not extending the current ceasefire. President Trump said over the weekend that he would likely reject the Iranian proposal because “they have not paid a big enough price.” On Friday, Trump informed congressional leaders that “hostilities” with Iran had “terminated” as the war hit the 60-day mark, writing to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate leader Chuck Grassley: “There has been no exchange of fire between the United States Forces and Iran since April 7, 2026.”

Global Energy Route Remains Paralyzed as Seafarers Suffer

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, is a critical oil chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption moved in recent years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Iran’s effective closure of the strait since February 28 has shaken global markets. Ships and seafarers, many on oil and gas tankers and cargo vessels, have been stuck in the Persian Gulf, with crew members reporting intercepted drones and missiles exploding overhead as supplies of drinking water and food run low. Many sailors come from India and other South and Southeast Asian countries. Trump described them as “victims of circumstance” and framed Project Freedom as a humanitarian gesture “on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern Countries but, in particular, the Country of Iran.” The Pentagon has not detailed how the 15,000 service members and more than 100 aircraft involved in the initiative will be deployed.

Legal and Diplomatic Stakes Intensify as Ceasefire Holds Uneasily

The location of Sunday’s attack, 11 nautical miles west of Sirik, is significant because territorial waters generally extend up to 12 nautical miles from a nation’s coastline. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, foreign-flagged vessels are allowed innocent passage through territorial seas as long as they are not engaging in threatening conduct. Iran’s demand to govern the strait challenges this principle and threatens to upend decades of maritime law. French President Emmanuel Macron has urged a “coordinated reopening” of the Strait of Hormuz by both the U.S. and Iran. Meanwhile, Pakistan facilitated the return of Iranian crew from a U.S.-seized ship, and Lebanon’s president said a security deal with Israel must come before a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The coming days will test whether Project Freedom can operate without triggering a broader confrontation, and whether Iran’s proposal can salvage a diplomatic resolution.

The bottom line

• The U.S. launched Project Freedom to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, with two vessels transiting safely on Monday.
• The UAE suffered a drone attack on a state-owned tanker and intercepted four Iranian cruise missiles, marking the first such strikes since the ceasefire.
• A South Korean ship exploded in the strait; a cargo vessel was attacked by small craft on Sunday; causes remain under investigation.
• Iran insists on controlling the strait as part of its peace proposal, which President Trump has signaled he will reject.
• The ceasefire that began April 8 has held, but tensions are rising as both sides assert control over the vital waterway.
• Roughly one-fifth of global petroleum liquids pass through the Strait of Hormuz, making its reopening critical for world markets.