What we know about Trump's 'Project Freedom' aimed to help stranded ships through Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump has announced that the US will help "guide" ships which have been stranded by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait has remained largely blocked since the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran - and Tehran responded by blocking the crucial waterway through which 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas is meant to pass freely.

What does Trump's "Project Freedom" entail and could it lead to a resumption of hostilities?

The president said the US had been asked by countries "from all over the World" to help free up their ships which were "locked up in the Strait of Hormuz" and were "merely neutral and innocent bystanders!".

And so, in response, the US would "guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways".

"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 said in the post on his Truth Social platform.

He added this was "a Humanitarian gesture on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern Countries but, in particular, the Country of Iran" - as many of these vessels were "running low on food, and everything else necessary for largescale crews to stay on board in a healthy and sanitary manner".

Trump's announcement appears mild compared to previous statements against Iran.

The statement even makes it sound like Iran is a party to the operation - the president went as far as to say "Project Freedom" was being undertaken on behalf of Iran, too.

But that is not how Iran sees the operation.

A statement from the head of Iran's central command said that it would attack "any foreign armed force" that tried to approach or enter the Strait, "especially, the aggressive US army".

Maj Gen Ali Abdollahi said that Iran had "repeatedly" stated that the Hormuz Strait "is under the control" of the Iranian armed forces, and safe passage through it must be co-ordinated with it "under all circumstances".

An estimated 20,000 sailors and 2,000 ships have been trapped in the Gulf since the start of the war with Iran, according to the International Maritime Organisation - a UN agency that regulates shipping.

There has been growing concern over dwindling supplies and the effects on sailors' physical and mental health.

But Trump did not say how they would be able to sail away - he only threatened to use force "if, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with".

Hours later, US Central Command announced that "guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members" would be used to support the operation.

The statement did not specify how the combined hardware and personnel would support the vessels.

If the US guidance was meant as an offer of information and advice to vessels and crew, that may be of little help given Iran's ominous threats to attack them.