President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the United States would begin an effort to free up ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday morning.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social site, gave few details about the operation, including whether the U.S. Navy would be involved. He described the effort as a "humanitarian gesture" meant only to aid neutral countries that were not involved in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
"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," Trump wrote in the post.
The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for additional information.
BULK CARRIER REPORTS ATTACK
A bulk carrier reported being attacked by multiple small craft while transiting north about 11 nautical miles west of Iran's Sirik on Sunday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said, adding that all crew were safe and no environmental impact was reported.
Later on Sunday, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency said the ship was not seized and that it was stopped by the Iranian navy to check documents as part of supervisory procedures.
ACTING “LIKE PIRATES”
On Friday, Trump said the U.S. Navy was acting "like pirates" in carrying out Washington's naval blockade of Iranian ports during the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran.
Trump made the comments while describing the seizure by U.S. forces of a ship a few days ago.
"We took over the ship, we took over the cargo, we took over the oil. It's a very profitable business," Trump said in remarks on Friday evening.
"We're like pirates. We're sort of like pirates but we are not playing games."
Some of Tehran's vessels have been seized by the U.S. after leaving Iranian ports, along with sanctioned container ships and Iranian tankers in Asian waters.
Iran has blocked nearly all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz apart from its own since the start of the war. Trump has imposed a separate blockade of Iranian ports.
The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host U.S. bases. U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions.
The war has raised oil prices and led to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
Trump, who has offered shifting timelines and goals for the war that remains unpopular in the U.S., has faced widespread condemnation over his comments on the conflict, including when he threatened to destroy Iran's entire civilization last month.
Many U.S. experts said last month that American strikes on Iran may amount to war crimes after Trump threatened to target civilian infrastructure.
(Reuters)
