“Operation Project Freedom” in the Strait of Hormuz could be resumed and expanded if Iran doesn’t agree to a deal to end the war, U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Saturday.
“We’ll go a different route if everything doesn’t get signed up, buttoned up,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We may go back to ‘Project Freedom’ if things don’t happen, but it’ll be ‘Project Freedom Plus,’ meaning ‘Project Freedom’ plus other things.”
Trump launched “Operation Project Freedom” on May 4, to safeguard merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz following a series of Iranian attacks in the vital waterway. Tehran has largely blocked the strait since the start of the war, triggering a spike in global fuel prices and putting pressure on financial markets.
The operation was suspended two days after its launch at the request of Pakistan, which is mediating talks with Tehran.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on Saturday that “the idea of Project Freedom Plus is very intriguing and I believe it can bear fruit.
“Providing a path for safe passage of international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz—in the face of Iranian resistance—is a game changer,” he tweeted. “The plus part in my opinion would envision more international partners and limited kinetic activity.
“As to a negotiated settlement, it must include the end of Iran’s state sponsorship of terrorism through their support for Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations,” added the senator.
Trump’s most recent threat followed an exchange of fire between U.S. and Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, fueling uncertainty over the temporary ceasefire that Washington claims remains in place.
The Islamic Republic is set to deliver its response to the Trump administration’s latest proposal to permanently end the fighting, the president told reporters on Friday.
“Look, they have no military, they have not a lot left—we’ll see what happens,” he said. “We’ll find out soon enough.”
