US starts Hormuz mission, warns ships to stay away
Conflict spreads, becoming regional crisis around Strait of Hormuz
The United States on Monday launched a new operation to help guide stranded commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, in an effort to reduce growing disruption to global shipping. The move comes as tensions in and around the strategic waterway continue to rise, with war risks, mining concerns and military posturing making one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors increasingly difficult to navigate.
According to the Joint Maritime Information Center, an enhanced security zone has been established in the area. Ships have been advised to avoid main routes where possible and coordinate closely with Omani authorities before attempting to pass through the strait. The warning was stark: areas close to standard shipping lanes remain highly dangerous because of uncleared mines, creating serious risks for commercial vessels and crews.
The development follows President Donald Trump’s announcement of “Project Freedom,” under which the United States said it would help escort neutral and civilian ships out of the restricted waterways. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said countries from around the world had asked Washington to step in and help free ships caught in the Strait of Hormuz. He framed the mission as a broader effort to support international trade and prevent innocent commercial traffic from being caught up in a conflict it did not start.
US Central Command said the operation would be backed by a major military presence, including more than 100 aircraft and 15,000 troops. The scale of the deployment underlines how seriously Washington is treating the threat to maritime movement, even as it tries to avoid direct escalation.
Iran, however, responded with a firm warning of its own. Its military said all transit through the strait must be coordinated with Iranian forces, and it cautioned that any foreign military presence in the area would be treated as a hostile act. Iranian officials said they maintain full control over security in the waterway and insisted that commercial ships and oil tankers should not move through without prior coordination. Tehran also warned that any US attempt to enter the strait could destabilize the situation further and endanger shipping rather than protect it.
The standoff has already begun affecting vessels beyond the Gulf. A maritime monitoring firm reported that a second Iranian Very Large Crude Carrier has evaded the US Navy and is now heading through Indonesian waters toward the Riau Archipelago. TankerTrackers.com identified the vessel as Derya and said it is transiting the Lombok Strait. The ship reportedly followed a route south after other vessels were redirected by US forces.
The firm said another Iranian supertanker, Huge, carrying about 1.9 million barrels of crude, also avoided interception and was tracked in the same general direction. According to the monitoring group, about 25 tankers left Iran in April, with seven turned back and two seized by US forces. The reports highlight just how tense the cat-and-mouse game has become on the high seas.
Meanwhile, diplomacy around the crisis is also unfolding. French President Emmanuel Macron called on the United States and Iran to work together to restore safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at a gathering of European leaders in Armenia, Macron said a joint approach between Washington and Tehran remained the only viable path to reopening the waterway in a secure and lasting way. He also made clear that France would not participate in any military initiative unless there was a clearly defined framework in place, even as Paris and London continue to explore a possible coalition to secure the route.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations center echoed the concern, saying the threat level in the Strait of Hormuz remains critical because of ongoing military activity. It advised shipping companies to consider routes through Omani territorial waters where possible and to coordinate movements with Omani authorities, especially as heavy traffic is expected in the area. For now, commercial shipping firms face a dangerous mix of military tension, uncertainty and logistical pressure.
Elsewhere in the wider conflict zone, Hezbollah said it carried out 11 attacks over the past 24 hours against Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. The group said it used drones, rockets and artillery in what it described as actions carried out in defense of Lebanon and its people. Hezbollah said the attacks were a response to continued Israeli strikes on civilians despite a US-brokered ceasefire.
According to Israeli media reports, the United States has told Israel that the ceasefire with Lebanon must hold regardless of developments related to Iran. Channel 12, citing unnamed sources, said Washington wants to prevent the Lebanon front from collapsing into a wider regional war. The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been in place since April 17 and was later extended after direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in Washington.
Even so, the situation on the ground remains volatile. Israeli strikes in Lebanon have continued, especially in the south, causing casualties and destruction. The humanitarian toll has been severe, with more than 2,600 people reportedly killed since March 2 and over one million displaced.
Taken together, the latest developments show how quickly the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz has expanded from a regional security issue into a global shipping emergency. What began as military tension is now affecting oil flows, commercial transport and diplomatic calculations across several continents. For shipping companies, governments and energy markets alike, the coming days may determine whether the situation stabilizes or moves further toward confrontation.