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| ▲ U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with members of the Artemis II mission in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, in this EPA photo from April 29, 2026. (Yonhap) |
(2nd LD) Trump-Strait of Hormuz
(2nd LD) Trump says U.S. to help free ships stranded in Strait of Hormuz
(ATTN: UPDATES with reaction from Cheong Wa Dae in paras 8-9)
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Washington will begin guiding some neutral ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz this week as a "humanitarian gesture" amid the prolonged crisis in the Middle East.
About 2,000 vessels remain trapped in the strait, including 26 South Korean-flagged ships, as the crucial waterway has effectively been shut down since late February, when the conflict began following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said "neutral and innocent" countries have been affected by the conflict, adding, "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."
The process, named "Project Freedom," will begin Monday morning (Middle East time), and any interference with the project "will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully," he warned.
U.S. Central Command said in a post on X that it will begin supporting the project Monday, deploying guided-missile destroyers, aircraft, drones and 15,000 service members, though it was not immediately clear which countries would benefit from the U.S. operation.
Iran, however, denounced the move as a violation of the ceasefire.
"Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire," Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament's national security commission, said on X. "The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf will not be managed by Trump's delusional posts."
Meanwhile, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday it is closely monitoring the situation following Trump's remarks and is in close communication with Washington over the matter.
"In hopes that the global maritime logistics network is swiftly restored and normalized, the government is closely watching President Trump's remarks in this context," a Cheong Wa Dae official said. "The government is maintaining close communication with the United States over the stable usage of critical sea lanes, including the Strait of Hormuz."
The blockade of the waterway has disrupted global supplies of energy and other goods, as about 20 percent of the world's oil and natural gas trade typically passes through the strait.
Trump extended a ceasefire deadline in early April, urging Iran to present a new peace proposal while ramping up pressure on Tehran through naval blockades and economic sanctions.
Peace talks remain stalled after the first direct meeting between the two sides in Islamabad last month ended without agreement.
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