President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the US military conducted a covert operation to facilitate the passage of 100 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that Iran had largely shut down in response to US and Israeli strikes.
Trump's announcement on Truth Social
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated, "Last month, I directed our Great US Military to execute a secret mission to support Oil Tankers and other Commercial Ships through the Strait of Hormuz." He asserted that the United States now "controls" the strait. "Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has resulted in more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil making its way through the Strait, and into the Open Market," he added, noting that over 200 commercial vessels had successfully transited.
Background of Project Freedom
The United States initiated a military operation called Project Freedom in early May to escort ships through the strait. However, the operation was halted after just one day, which Trump described as an attempt to end the Middle East war that Washington and Israel launched on February 28.
Later in May, US media reported that the escort effort had resumed. However, US Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, denied these reports at the time, stating that the Navy had not resumed "escorting or assisting commercial vessels."
