International Desk, May 3 (EFE).- Any United States “interference” in the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the ceasefire, a senior Iranian official said Sunday, responding to an announcement by President Donald Trump about an operation to free vessels trapped in the region by Iran’s blockade.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliamentary National Security Commission, said in a post on X that “any U.S. interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire.”
Azizi added that “the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf will not be governed by Trump’s delusional statements. No one will believe his conspiracy theories,” after the U.S. military’s United States Central Command detailed Trump’s order for the so-called “Freedom Project,” which would deploy more than 100 aircraft, destroyers, drones and 15,000 troops.
“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy, while we also maintain the naval blockade,” Centcom commander Brad Cooper said.
According to Trump, several countries — most of them not parties to the Middle East conflict — have requested help to free their vessels from the strait. He said he ordered U.S. forces to assist their exit starting Monday, as “very positive conversations with Iran” continue.
“I have instructed my representatives to inform them that we will do everything possible to ensure their ships and crews leave the strait safely. In all cases, they have said they will not return until the area is safe for navigation,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
Trump did not identify the countries requesting assistance, saying they are “from all over the world,” and added that the ships are being held up by a matter entirely unrelated to them.
They are “neutral and innocent bystanders,” the Republican leader said of the war launched Feb. 28 against Iran by the United States and Israel, which has disrupted maritime traffic and led to a dual blockade by Iran and the United States.
“For the good of Iran, the Middle East and the United States, we have assured these countries that we will guide their ships out of these restricted waterways so they can continue their activities freely,” Trump said.
Trump said the “Freedom Project” would begin Monday, Middle East time, adding that many of the vessels are running low on food.
Iran also confirmed Sunday that it received, via Pakistan, the U.S. response to a 14-point proposal aimed at ending the war, and said it is reviewing the content before issuing an official reply. EFE
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