Trump announces the unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz this Monday, Iran threatens.

New uncertainties and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Donald Trump has announced an operation starting from Monday to unblock vessels stuck for two months in the Gulf, but the Iranian military command warned that they would attack the US military in that case. The American president, who initiated hostilities against Iran on February 28 with Israel, mentioned on Sunday evening a “humanitarian gesture” and “goodwill” towards the sailors blocked by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Starting Monday morning local time, the US Navy will escort ships from countries “that have nothing to do with the conflict in the Middle East,” announced Trump. However, he warned that if this operation, named Project Freedom, was obstructed by Iran, it “should unfortunately be dealt with by force,” while also praising “very positive discussions” with Tehran through the intermediary of Pakistan.

Destroyers, aircraft, and 15,000 mobilized US soldiers Iran responded on Monday by threatening the US military. “We warn any foreign armed force, especially the aggressive US military: if they intend to approach the Strait of Hormuz or enter it, they will be targeted and attacked,” said General Ali Abdollahi, chief of the armed forces’ command. “Any American intervention in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire,” had previously warned Ebrahim Azizi, president of the Iranian Parliament’s security commission.

In a statement, the US Central Command for the Middle East clarified that the operation announced by Donald Trump would involve missile-launching destroyers, over a hundred aircraft, and 15,000 soldiers. Since the beginning of hostilities, Iran has been blocking the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil consumption typically transits. Washington responded by blocking Iranian ports in early April.

The blockage of the strait has caused oil prices to soar to their highest since 2022 and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Prices stabilized on Monday in Asian markets, with a barrel of Brent, the global reference, inching up 0.39% to $108.59, far from the $126 surpassed on Thursday.

Nearly 1,000 ships and 20,000 sailors blocked in Ormuz The number of commercial ships present in the Gulf reached 913 on April 29, including 270 tankers and around fifty gas ships, according to the maritime tracking company AXSMarine. Approximately 20,000 sailors are affected, according to a senior official from the British maritime security agency UKMTO.

Since the start of the war, which has claimed thousands of lives, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, Tehran de facto established passage rights to cross the strait. The situation has been blocked since the ceasefire on April 8, after nearly 40 days of Israeli-American strikes on Iran and retaliations from Tehran in the region.

Between the Strait of Hormuz and the nuclear aspect, the points of contention remain significant and efforts to restart negotiations have failed, despite a first direct meeting in Pakistan on April 11. To give discussions another chance, Tehran has submitted a new proposal to Washington, to which Iranian diplomacy responded on Sunday.