"There are currently 22,500 mariners embarked on more than 1,550 commercial vessels trapped in the Arabian Gulf, unable to transit," Caine told a briefing.
On May 3, Trump announced Project Freedom to assist ships blocked in the Strait of Hormuz and seeking to leave it. US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated military support for the initiative will include guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members. The operation began on Monday morning.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on targets in Iran, causing damage and civilian casualties. On April 7, Washington and Tehran announced a two-week ceasefire. Subsequent talks in Islamabad ended inconclusively, and US President Donald Trump extended the cessation of hostilities to give Iran time to come up with a "unified proposal."