U.S. Launches 'Project Freedom' to Escort Shipping Through Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Central Command said it began supporting a newly named mission, “Project Freedom,” on May 4 to protect commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil transit route where U.S. officials say more than 1,500 vessels carrying about 22,500 mariners had been trapped inside the Gulf by recent disruptions.

CENTCOM and Pentagon officials said the operation was directed by President Donald J. Trump and is now a formal U.S. military effort to restore commercial traffic through the waterway. CENTCOM said the force package includes guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms and 15,000 service members.

U.S. officials said the first practical step came immediately: Two U.S.-flagged commercial ships, escorted by U.S. destroyers, transited the strait as operations began. Officials also said CENTCOM established an “enhanced security area” on the southern side of the strait to help facilitate commercial transits.

At a Pentagon briefing on May 5, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine described the mission as limited and defensive. U.S. officials said it would not require American forces to enter Iranian territorial waters or airspace. Hegseth said, “President [Donald J.] Trump has directed U.S. Central Command to restart the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz under the umbrella of Project Freedom. Project Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope, temporary in duration [and] with one mission: protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression.”

The opening days of the broader escalation included Iranian missiles, drones and fast boats, according to U.S. accounts. U.S. officials said American forces used MH-60 Navy helicopters, AH-64 Army helicopters and other assets to defend transits, and that several Iranian small boats were sunk or disabled. Iran has issued its own warning. Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said “any foreign armed force—especially the aggressive U.S. military—will be attacked if it intends to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz.” Iranian state and semi-official outlets also reported strikes or engagements involving U.S. or other vessels, while U.S. officials denied some of those claims. Those competing accounts remain unresolved in available reporting.

Caine said the commercial disruption had become severe. “By obstructing one of the world's most critical maritime checkpoints, a vital transit route for approximately one-fifth of the global oil consumption, Iran is weaponizing the global supply chain,” he said.

The stakes extend well beyond the Gulf. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, connecting Gulf producers to global markets. The International Energy Agency said roughly 20 million barrels a day of crude oil and oil products moved through the strait in 2025, equal to about one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption and roughly a quarter of global seaborne oil trade.

The U.S. operation comes after a broader conflict intensified following joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, 2026, after which commercial shipping through Hormuz became heavily disrupted. That disruption matters not only to shipowners and crews, but also to refiners, importers and consumers far from the region because a sustained slowdown in Hormuz can tighten oil supplies and raise transport and insurance costs.

Even with a public U.S. escort mission now underway, shipping and insurance markets appeared cautious. Reporting citing BIMCO, one of the shipping industry’s largest trade associations, said operators and insurers would likely want clearer operational details and more certainty before normal transits resume. Oil prices were volatile on May 4 and May 5 as traders reassessed supply risks around Hormuz, underscoring that a U.S. naval presence alone may not quickly restore confidence or normal shipping flows.