United States launches Project Freedom to secure transit in the Strait of Hormuz

Key facts

• United States (US) President Donald Trump announced Project Freedom to guide neutral commercial ships safely out of the Strait of Hormuz following Iran's closure of the waterway.
• United States Central Command (Centcom) deployed guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, and 15,000 service members to support the operation.
• According to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), an estimated 20,000 sailors and 2,000 ships have been trapped in the Gulf since the start of the conflict.
• Centcom reported that US forces sunk six Iranian small boats targeting civilian vessels and confirmed that two US-flagged merchant vessels successfully transited the strait.
• A tanker affiliated with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) state-owned oil company, Adnoc, and a South Korean cargo vessel were reportedly targeted during the hostilities.