The world is watching the Strait of Hormuz with renewed unease after US President Donald Trump announced a US-backed mission to escort stranded ships out of the critical oil chokepoint, coupled with a blunt warning that any interference would be met with force.

In a statement, Mr Trump said multiple countries had asked the United States to help free vessels stuck in the narrow waterway, describing them as “neutral and innocent bystanders” caught in a widening Middle Eastern conflict.

The operation, dubbed “Project Freedom,” is set to begin Monday morning local time and will involve US efforts to guide ships safely out of what Mr Trump called “restricted waterways”.

But the announcement quickly pivoted from humanitarian framing to a harder edge.

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

The warning is likely to heighten tensions in a region already on edge, with the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, long viewed as one of the most strategically sensitive shipping routes in the world.

Mr Trump positioned the move as a goodwill gesture, including toward Iran, claiming “very positive discussions” were underway with Tehran and suggesting the effort could benefit all parties involved.

At the same time, he emphasised the deteriorating conditions aboard some stranded vessels, saying crews were running low on food and essential supplies after being unable to leave the area.

“The Ship movement is merely meant to free up people, companies, and Countries that have done absolutely nothing wrong — They are victims of circumstance,” he said.

Despite the humanitarian framing, the combination of a US-led naval escort and an explicit threat of force underscores the fragile balance in the region, where even limited intervention risks triggering a broader confrontation.