Operation Project Freedom
2026 operation to open the Strait of Hormuz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Operation Project Freedom is a United States military operation launched on 4 May 2026 to escort merchant ships, in response to Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.[a] The operation was temporarily paused on 5 May. It was declared the second stage of the Iran war, following the end of Operation Epic Fury.[11]
| Operation Project Freedom | |
|---|---|
| Part of the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis and Iran War | |
| Location | |
| Planned by | US Central Command |
| Objective | Military escort of merchant vessels going through the strait |
| Date | 4–5 May 2026 (1 day) |
| Outcome | Temporarily halted |
| Losses | Seven Iranian boats sank |
Background and preparation
During the 2026 Iran war and following the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, in March 2026, the U.S. dropped 5,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on hardened Iranian anti-ship cruise missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz.[12][13] U.S. forces also sank 16 Iranian minelayers as Iran was mining the Strait of Hormuz.[14][15][16] Over 150 warships across 16 classes of the Iranian navy were destroyed as well as every Iran submarine was also sunk as the 2026 Iran war ceasefire took hold.[17] In April 2026, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. military destroyed 158 Iranian naval vessels, asserting the Iranian navy was "annihilated" and lying at the bottom of the sea. Trump stated that 28 mine-dropping vessels were sunk, with only a few small, fast-attack boats remaining.[18][19][20][21]
Implementation
An oil tanker was hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz after Trump announced Operation Project Freedom.[22] Iran said that it launched missiles towards a US warship to stop it entering the strait and two missiles had struck a US navy destroyer.[23] The U.S. denied Iranian missiles hit a military vessel during the effort to reopen Strait of Hormuz, and also said that two American-flagged merchant ships had “successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz” and that Navy guided-missile destroyers in the Persian Gulf were helping to restore commercial shipping traffic.[24][25]
According to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the operation aims to save 23,000 civilians from 87 countries stranded in the Persian Gulf.[11]
Iran targeted a UAE tanker in Strait of Hormuz as U.S. began Operation Project Freedom.[26]
Danish shipping company Maersk confirmed that a vessel belonging to one of its subsidiaries crossed the Strait of Hormuz with U.S. military escort.[27]
The U.S. sank seven small Iranian boats while Iran launched attacks on UAE and ships in Strait of Hormuz.[28]
On 5 May, Trump announced the operation had been temporarily paused by "mutual agreement", citing progress during ongoing negotiations with Iran for a peace agreement.[29]
Reactions
Iran
Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Azizi said any US interference in the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the ceasefire.[30]
Iranian Armed Forces warned the US Navy against entering the Strait of Hormuz.[22]
Gulf Cooperation Council
The Gulf Cooperation Council and UAE condemned Iran.[31][32]
South Korea
On May 4, after the HMM Namu—a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship owned by HMM—was struck by an explosion and caught fire while anchored off the UAE, Trump blamed Iran without evidence and urged South Korea to join the operation; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also called on South Korea to protect its own ship in the Strait. In response, the South Korean government announced that it was "reviewing" its potential participation in Operation Project Freedom.[33][34][35] As of May 6, 2026, 26 South Korean ships are still stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.[36]
