A senior Iranian lawmaker has warned that any US involvement in managing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would constitute a violation of the ceasefire, rejecting Washington’s proposed role in the waterway.
Ibrahim Azizi, the head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said “any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire.”
In a post on the US social media company X’s platform, he dismissed the idea that the waterway could be directed by Washington, saying the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf would not be managed by the US president’s posts.
“No one would believe Blame Game scenarios!” he added.
The remarks followed Trump’s comments on Sunday that the US would move to guide ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz out of restricted waterways.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump described the move as a “humanitarian gesture” aimed at assisting neutral countries not involved in the US-Israeli war on Iran.
“For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have told these countries that we will guide their ships safely out of these restricted waterways,” he wrote.
“Defensive mission”
Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces will begin supporting Project Freedom on May 4 to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
A quarter of the world’s oil trade at sea and significant volumes of fuel and fertilizer products are transported through the strait.
“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.
US military support to Project Freedom will include guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members.
