On Sunday afternoon, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the US Navy will begin escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, under what he called “Project Freedom.” Trump said the US will use “best efforts” to get ships and crews through the strait, while also warning that force would be used if Iran interfered with the operation.

The latest announcement is evidence that Washington is preparing to launch military action against Iran’s control of the strait. While Trump’s post framed the escort plan as a means of safeguarding shipping, it is clearly a threat to escalate the war which began on February 28. 

In convoluted language, Trump wrote, “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, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business. Again, these are Ships from areas of the World that are not in any way involved with that which is currently taking place in the Middle East. I have told my Representatives to inform them that we will use best efforts to get their Ships and Crews safely out of the Strait.”

He added, “If, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.”

Trump’s Truth Social announcement was made, according to USA Today, “after a merchant ship reported being attacked by multiple ‘small’ boats off the coast of Sirik, Iran, near the strait, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. No injuries were reported in the incident.”

Hundreds of commercial vessels, including over 150 non-sanctioned ships and 62 very large crude carriers, are stranded in the Persian Gulf. The crisis involves an estimated 20,000 seafarers trapped on ships unable to pass the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, causing massive supply chain disruption.

The shutdown of the strait has halted nearly all tanker traffic, effectively trapping 12 million barrels of daily oil exports. This shutdown has triggered a sharp rise in global energy prices, significantly reduced oil supply, and halted 20 percent of the world’s daily oil and liquified natural gas (LNG) transit, intensifying global economic pressures. These vessels are effectively stranded, unable to pass through the strait because of an Iranian blockade.

The shutdown of the strait has caused a disruption of global shipping and logistics. The United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) warns that the ripple effects extend to worldwide supply chains, making shipping slower and more expensive, especially for import-dependent countries and sectors that rely on just-in-time delivery. The BBC reported that a third of the world’s essential fertilizer chemicals transit through the strait, and that prices have surged, impacting agricultural production, food prices and farm incomes.

Trump’s escort announcement came just three days after the US received Iran’s 14-point plan for an end to the war. According to reports, the proposal included a ceasefire, a broader regional de-escalation and measures tied to the withdrawal of US military forces from sensitive areas near Iran.

The plan also reportedly called for lifting sanctions, easing the blockade on Iranian ports, releasing frozen assets and establishing a new framework for the management of the Strait of Hormuz. It also proposed longer-term political and security conditions, including an end to hostilities in Lebanon and lifting sanctions.

Other reports said Iran was reviewing a US response to its plan, although Trump stated a day earlier that he had not yet reviewed Iran’s proposal himself. These contradictory reports suggest either disarray in the diplomatic process or a deliberate effort by the US to keep negotiations subordinated to military pressure.

Reports over the last several days indicate that the US is preparing to resume military strikes on Iran. Israeli officials were reported to be bracing for a renewed round of fighting, suggesting that the war is not considered over by any significant military or political actor.

At the same time, news reports say that US Central (CENTCOM) has requested hypersonic missiles, which would mark a major escalation in weaponry and reveals that planners are preparing for a more intense phase of warfare.

The request for hypersonic weapons suggests that the Pentagon is not merely considering limited or symbolic strikes, but actual operations designed to penetrate Iranian defenses and expand the range of targets. This means the Pentagon is considering a renewed and sustained air and missile campaign.

Axios also reported on a plan intended to be shared with Trump during a briefing that involved deploying ground forces to take control of part of the strait and reopen it to commercial shipping. This proposal, which is extraordinary in scope, would amount to a direct US occupation of a strategic section of Iranian-controlled waters or coastline to enforce maritime access.

Such an operation would provoke a major military response from Iran and broaden the war dramatically. These reports indicate that the Trump White House is considering a range of military options to achieve its strategic aim of controlling the region and one of the world’s most critical waterways.

While the war against Iran intensifies, Israel’s offensive in Lebanon continues with no sign of abating. Strikes in southern Lebanon killed 13 people in one day, and a total of 41 people were killed since Saturday, including four women and a child.

The strikes over the weekend were part of an Israeli bombardment that hit multiple towns and villages, not a single location. In the Nabatieh district, eight people were killed in Haboush, including two women and a child, in an area where the Israeli military had previously issued an evacuation notice.

In the Sidon district, four people, including two women, were killed in Zrarieh, and another person died in Ain Baal in the Tyre district. That pattern suggests the strikes were spread across a wide swath of the south rather than concentrated on a single target.

The Israeli military announced it had carried out approximately 50 strikes in the previous 24 hours, claiming Hezbollah headquarters and military facilities were targeted. The victims included people described as residents of the bombarded areas. The inclusion of women and a child among the dead underlines the indiscriminate human cost of the bombardment.

Israel has also issued a new round of displacement orders in southern Lebanon. As of May 3, the  orders expand Israel’s area of operations to include towns north of the Litani River for the first time. The orders cover over 10 villages and towns, including several in the Nabatieh district that are outside of the previously established “Yellow Line” buffer zone. 

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that 2,618 people had been killed since Israeli attacks began on March 2, with 8,094 wounded. Those figures reveal that the war has already produced a humanitarian disaster of enormous proportions. The dead include not only combatants but also civilians, children and women, underscoring the indiscriminate nature of the violence.

There has been no ceasefire enforced by Israel since the war began on March 2. Despite periodic claims or rumors of pauses, the attacks have continued, and the bombardment of southern Lebanon has remained ongoing. The persistence of the strikes shows that the Israeli military campaign is not defensive in any sense. It is an offensive war aimed at crushing resistance, forcing displacement and maintaining pressure across the border.

The logic of the US war against Iran and the Israeli war against Lebanon is toward a broader regional catastrophe. Trump’s plan to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz along with renewed strikes by Israel in Lebanon, shows that the imperialist military onslaught is escalating under the cover of a ceasefire.