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US to Begin Guiding Stranded Ships From Strait of Hormuz on Monday
President Donald Trump stated that the United States will begin an operation on Monday to guide neutral ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to address humanitarian concerns amid ongoing tensions with Iran. Iranian officials warned that any US intervention would violate a ceasefire agreement. Oil prices dropped below $100 per barrel following the announcement.
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President Donald Trump said the United States will begin guiding neutral ships trapped in the Persian Gulf out of the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning, Middle East time.
According to multiple reports, hundreds of vessels remain stranded in the area amid the Iran conflict, with some seafarers reported to be running low on food and supplies. The initiative is described as a coordination mechanism for ships, insurers, and countries rather than direct U.S. Navy escorts of commercial vessels.
U.S. Navy ships will remain in the vicinity. Two U.S. carrier strike groups are still in the Middle East, though the USS Ford is heading home as of May 3.
” Iran separately warned that any U.S. attempt to interfere in the strait would breach the Middle East ceasefire.
On Sunday the U.S. sent an amended draft for a pact to end the Iran war in response to Iran’s latest proposal, according to Axios. Iran has introduced a new proposal aimed at ending the war, though key issues may be delayed. The U.S. transferred the Iranian ship Touska, seized two weeks earlier, to Pakistan for repatriation to Iran along with its crew, a U.S. Central Command spokesman confirmed.
No publicly released evidence has documented the specific operators of the stranded vessels. The vessels’ operators have not been publicly identified by the U.S. government in the available reporting. European countries’ involvement in any escort operations remains unclear.
The conflict shows no signs of ending, with the price of crude teetering above $100 a barrel, according to Reuters. U.S. oil prices fell below $100 per barrel and stock futures rose following Trump’s announcement.
The announcement follows a reported attack on a cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz. The new Hormuz Strait initiative will not necessarily include U.S. Navy ships escorting commercial vessels directly. The Trump administration recently halted nearly 165 U.S. onshore wind projects citing national security concerns.
