Iran has threatened to attack “any foreign armed force” that enters the Strait of Hormuz in response to President Donald Trump’s unveiling of Project Freedom.
The president announced Project Freedom in a Truth Social post published Sunday, writing that U.S. military ships will “guide” foreign-owned ships that are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz “out of these restricted Waterways.”
Trump said that “countries from all over the World, almost all of which are not involved in the Middle Eastern dispute going on so visibly, and violently, for all to see, have asked the United States if we could help free up their Ships.”
“This process, Project Freedom, will begin Monday morning, Middle East time,” the president added.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 3, 2026
Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, the commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, fired back the next morning by saying in a statement that “any foreign armed force, especially the invading U.S. army, if they intend to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz, will be subjected to attack,” according to ABC News.
“We will maintain the security of the Strait of Hormuz with all our might and manage it powerfully,” he continued, adding that “all commercial ships and tankers” should “refrain from any action to transit without coordination with the armed forces stationed in the Strait of Hormuz so that their security is not endangered.”
In a social media statement, Ebrahim Azizi, the chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, likewise said that the execution of Project Freedom would be considered “a violation” of the ongoing “ceasefire” between the United States and Iran.
“The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf will not be managed by Trump’s delusional posts,” he continued.
The ceasefire has been in effect for nearly a month now.
⚠ WARNING
Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire.
The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf would not be managed by Trump’s delusional posts!
No one would believe Blame Game scenarios!
— ابراهیم عزیزی (@Ebrahimazizi33) May 3, 2026
Around early April, over a month after the president initiated “major combat operations” against Iran, a two-week ceasefire was started to allow negotiations to occur.
After failed negotiations, the president ordered a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and extended the ceasefire indefinitely, saying that the blockade would continue until negotiations are completed.
Following Iran’s threat early Monday against any ships entering the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian military issued a statement claiming it had struck an American warship.
U.S. Central Command has since denied this allegation:
🚫 CLAIM: Iranian state media claims that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hit a U.S. warship with two missiles.
✅ TRUTH: No U.S. Navy ships have been struck. U.S. forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports. pic.twitter.com/VFxovxLU6G
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 4, 2026
“No U.S. Navy ships have been struck. U.S. forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports,” the agency wrote on social media.
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