Trump says US to help some ships exit Hormuz starting Monday

María Paula Mijares Torres, Bloomberg News on May 3, 2026

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President Donald Trump said the U.S. will begin guiding some neutral ships trapped in the Persian Gulf out through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday.

“The Ship movement is merely meant to free up people, companies, and Countries that have done absolutely nothing wrong — They are victims of circumstance,” Trump wrote Sunday in a social media post. “If, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.”

U.S. Central Command said Sunday that it would provide military support to restore commercial shipping through Hormuz, including the use of guided-missile destroyers, aircraft and drones.

This new effort does not currently involve U.S. Navy escorts, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited an unnamed U.S. official, but rather a coordination process for countries, insurance companies and shipping organizations.

“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of Central Command, said in a news release.

Trump said that U.S. representatives are having “very positive discussions” with Iran that could lead to something “very positive for all,” but didn’t offer additional details.

Earlier, Trump had suggested the Islamic Republic’s latest peace proposal might not be enough to satisfy him as efforts to put an end to the conflict have yet to show progress.

Iran said Sunday it is reviewing the U.S. response to its recent 14-point plan, Iranian TV reported, citing a foreign ministry spokesman.

In announcing his latest Hormuz move, Trump said the ships that would be helped in this program — which he dubbed “Project Freedom” — have large crews that are running out of food and other necessities while they’re waiting for safe passage through the strait. He said that several countries have asked the U.S. for help in freeing up their ships.

“In all cases, they said they will not be returning until the area becomes safe for navigation, and everything else,” Trump wrote.

Hundreds of tankers, bulk carriers and cargo ships are still languishing in the Gulf, and countries in the region have shuttered significant oil production as there’s no longer anywhere to store new supplies.

Energy prices have soared because of the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway south of Iran through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally flows. That’s stirred concerns in the White House that the Republicans could suffer a major defeat in November’s Midterm elections as Americans cope with high gasoline prices.

The Strait of Hormuz remains at the heart of the stalemate. After Iran effectively closed the strait, the U.S. imposed a naval blockade on the Islamic Republic’s ports, seeking to squeeze its economy and choke off oil exports.

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With assistance from Iain Boekhoff.

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