WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Sunday that "very positive discussions" were underway with Iran on finding a solution to the war, but nevertheless added US forces will soon start escorting ships out of the blocked Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, Esmaeil Baqaei, told state television that Tehran had submitted a 14-point plan "focused on ending the war," and that Washington had responded to it in a message to Pakistani mediators.
"I am fully aware that my Representatives are having very positive discussions with the Country of Iran, and that these discussions could lead to something very positive for all," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
The United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, killing the Islamic republic's supreme leader. Tehran responded with strikes on US military bases and Israeli targets in the region.
A ceasefire came into effect April 8, and there has been one round of direct peace talks in Islamabad since, with the two countries deadlocked.
Iran has maintained a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, choking off major flows of oil, gas and fertilizer to the world economy, while the United States has imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
Trump said "countries from all over the world" had requested American aid in navigating through the key waterway and out of the Gulf.
"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," Trump said.
"This process, Project Freedom, will begin Monday morning, Middle East time."
He called it a "humanitarian gesture," saying many of the marooned ships were "running low on food, and everything else necessary for largescale crews to stay on board in a healthy and sanitary manner."
Trump offered few details on how the mission would work. But an operation to guide ships out of the narrow strait could put US service members precariously close to Iranian forces.
In a post on X, US Central Command said starting Monday, its forces would begin supporting Project Freedom with guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms and 15,000 service members.
"Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade," Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in the post.
As of April 29, more than 900 commercial vessels were located in the Gulf, according to maritime intelligence firm AXSMarine. There had been more than 1,100 at the start of the conflict.